The Ultimate Cheat Sheet On Swimming Drills

Is swimming your weakest point of your race? Maybe you even fear being in the open water?

Well fear no more! We have the guide to help you improve your freestyle stroke, while making you feel more confident and comfortable in the water! It only takes adding these 7 drills to your swim practices.

When we have our athletes work on their technique, we have them do a sequence of freestyle drills. Doing drills in this particular sequence, will train your body to remember the important aspects of each of the drills, while continuing to build into the next drill.

The main focus of these 7 drills is ROTATION!!! Rotation is the most IMPORTANT aspect to improving your freestyle stroke. Having proper rotation while you swim will help maintain the proper body position in the water, and help with the timing of breathing! Rotation will make breathing easier!

We suggest that you use fins and a snorkel while completing these drills!

Here is your cheat sheet to improving your swimming:

1. Balance Drill: For this drill you will simply be kicking on your stomach. The water should "slice" your body in half, and your eyes should be looking down at the bottom of the pool. Maintain a steady kick, and really focus on how it feel of this position. 

2. Rotation Drill: This drill will be the Balance drill from above with an added rotation. Your head will NOT move during this drill. Rotate your shoulders and hips together, think of bringing your shoulder under you chin, and repeat to the other side.

3. Kick on Side (Right Side): To get in position of this drill, imagine laying on your side in bed. Your right arm will be straight out, and your left arm should rest by your side. For this drill, we will practice having your face in the water and out of the water. (no snorkel) Start with your face in the water, take a few kicks, then turn your head up to the air and take a breath, and repeat.

4. Kick on Side (Left Side): Same as above, except this time your left are will be out, and your right arm will be by your side. Practice the same breathing routine for this drill as well.

5. Single Arm Swim (R arm only): This drill will be similar to the position of kicking on your side. Your left arm will be by your side (FOR THE WHOLE DRILL). Using your RIGHT arm, take a stroke as your hand enters the water ROTATE and breath to the LEFT side. Make sure to breath on every stroke, and really exaggerate the rotation to take your breath!

6. Single Arm Swim  (L arm only): This drill will be done like above, expect with the LEFT arm. Take a stroke with your left arm, as your hand enters the water ROTATE and breath to the RIGHT side. Make sure to breath on every stroke, and really exaggerate the rotation to take your breath.

7. Anchor Drill: This drill will look like a slowed down freestyle stroke. Work on having a HIGH ELBOW catch in the water. While taking a stroke, hold the HIGH ELBOW catch take a bout 5 kicks, then switch to the other arm. This is a revamp on the "old school" catch up drill. Try to continue to think about rotation as you swim. If possible use a snorkel while doing this so you don't have to think about breathing.

You now have an edge on your competition. Continue to do these drills EVERY TIME you are in the water. The more consistency the faster your body will learn these techniques. Try by doing about 4x25's of each drill with each practice. If you have an questions, don't hesitate to ask!