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Swimming Drills

Drills for All Strokes

Kicking

For freestyle, kick on your side with your bottom arm (the one closer to the bottom of the pool) extended

straight out of your shoulder line before your head. Keep your palm facing down and your extended hand

under water, with your shoulder and chin touching. The top arm (the one on the surface of the water)

should be relaxed at your side with your hand on your hip and out of the water. Maintain a head position

as though you were swimming freestyle (focus your eyes on a point directly below you ! degrees, neutral

position" or on a point slightly ahead of you #$!%$& degrees". Keep your hairline at or below the surface

of the water). 'e sure your legs are not locked (slight bend in the knees, but preent a rocking motion),

your toes are slightly pointed (oer pointed will uickly cause cramps), and power is generated from the

hips.

For backstroke, kick on your side as described aboe with your head facing up in the position forbackstroke. *ou may also kick in a streamlined position with both hands oer your head. Keep your head

in a neutral position at all times). Kick with the same form as your freestyle kick.

For breaststroke, kick with a kickboard that will allow you to maintain a good body position. +ithout a

board, keep your hands extended, at your side. 'e sure your kick is narrow (small angled shape) rather

than large and out (large angled shape). -lthough it may seem like your generating more power with

an outward kick, the force generated is more lateral than forward. Knees should not come up to your

chest instead, your heels should come to your butt. Many swimmers underestimate the importance of the

glide for this, / suggest counting 0 seconds before taking your next kick ($%Mississippi, 0%Mississippi).

1uring the glide, make sure your legs are together and your toes pointed. To work on the lower half of

your kick, put a buoy between your knees and kick out with your calf.

For butterfly, do it either on your side, on your back (many consider this the hardest), or in butterfly

position. Kick from your hips and torso. 'e sure your chest and butt are moing in opposite directions,

while minimi2ing the natural bobbing motion your head will make. 3reent a rocking motion caused by

the knees bending and the legs moing back and forth.

-ll kicks can be performed underwater. / incorporate this into many kicking sets to keep swimmers

focused and interested. *ou can usually 4feel4 your kick better underwater. 1olphin die is an excellent

drill.

Distance Per Stroke (DPS)

Maximum distance per stroke. For free and back, focus on a long body line, with hip and shoulder

rotation (minimi2es resistance). For breast and fly, keep the body line long in the front of your stroke. -

steady rhythm is key regardless of what

Fist Swimming

5o 4karate%chop4 hands (slicing the water). -oid punching the water this will help break the habit of

Max Armour - University of Miami


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slapping the water during normal freestyle. 6oncentrate on body position and 137, using your forearm in

the catch and elbow bend through the stroke. +hen you return to swimming with an open palm, your pull

will feel significantly stronger.

Sculling

7weep your hands through the water, while holding your elbows still (when you are treading water, you

are sculling your hands through the water to hold yourself up). *ou are not moing the water forward and

back, but left to right. *our hands are like blades, and changes in hand angle and speed will change your

body position and speed. To propel yourself down the pool, simply change your hand and forearm angle

to be perpendicular to the pool bottom and parallel with the pool walls. Keep your elbows high at the

surface of the water, and sweep your hands underneath.

Freestyle and Backstroke Overview

Freestyle and backstroke are the long%axis strokes (you are rotating on the long%axis of your body (head%

to%toe) while swimming). Many of the same drills can be used for both strokes or combined into one drill

(hybrid drills). For sprinting, minimi2e rotation and focus on slicing8getting on top of the water. / prefer

to swim straight arm freestyle when sprinting. For distance, 137, rotation, and breath%control are key

(ensure a high elbow recoery and fully extended catch).

ong-Axis !om"o Drill (!orkscrew)

This drill allows you to feel the similar rotation of backstroke and freestyle. -lternate 9, :, 0 strokes of

backstroke with 9, :, 0 strokes of freestyle. 1rie the rotation of your stroke with your hips. ;ne strong

kick should be used during the transition phase to reposition the body. The more you


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recoery. May be referred to as the sail drill, where your head is the mast and your arms are the sails

guiding your body, the ship. 3rogress from : second sailing, 0 second sailing, $ second sailing, to fast

sailing (this will closely resemble freestyle).

Fingerti Drag Drill

1rag your fingertips along the surface of the water on the recoery. Focus on a high elbow recoery,

which ensures proper hand and elbow position at your hand entry. *ou should also check your body

position during this drill, focusing on good side%to%side rotation. ?elax your fingertips, and don%6ount 1rill, but you take three strokes as you switch from side to side. Focus on long

strokes and uick hips, completely rotating from one side to the other.

Single Arm (, ) Drill

M@TA;1 ;5@B +ith the nonworking arm at your si.e. 'reathe to the side of the nonworking arm. The

secret is to complete your breath before stroking. Take this drill slowly for techniue, then uick for

speed.

M@TA;1 T+;B +ith the nonworking arm exten.e. in front. 'reathe to the side of the working arm.

Focus on high elbow recoery, hand entry, and hand acceleration.

/ier or 0ow1Arrow Drill

-s you recoer your arm, drag your thumb along your rib%cage while keeping that side out of the water.

/magine a 2ipper running from the bottom of your rib cage to your arm pit and you are pulling it up with

your thumb. 7tay on your opposite side, with your opposite arm extended ahead of you, until the otherhand enters the water. Then snap your hips to the opposite side (make sure the transition is uick). This

should increase roll and a high elbow recoery.

2ea. U Drill

5ormal freestyle, except keep your head aboe water the entire time. +ater leel should stay below your

chin. Focus on keeping your head in a neutral position facing forward, while watching your hand

position. Make sure your hands enter the water only when your arms are fully extended to preent

pushing the water and creating excess resistance.

Backstroke Drills

Single Arm (, ) Drill

7ingle arm backstroke is always done with the nonworking arm at your side. -llow the opposite arm to be

relaxed and do a half%recoery. 6oncentrate on full hip and shoulder rotation and body position (straight

line head to toe). 'e sure your pull is a straight line from the point where your hand enters the water to

your hip (not a full :=! degree angle, which dierts much of your force laterally rather than forward).



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,ytm Drill

7ingle arm backstroke alternating 0 right arms and 0 left arms. Aalf recoery with the non%stroking arm.

Focus on rhythm and body position.

2esitation or Sailor Drill

7wim normal backstroke, except as your arm begins the recoery, pause and hold the recoery arm at a

:!%degree angle and then 9&%degree angle out of the water. *ou should already be rotated to your other

side, and your opposite arm should be in the catch position (hand >%inches underwater, palm turned down

and downward slightly, elbow deep). Make sure you are still holding your hips up near the surface of the

water in this position.

!atc-U Drill

3ull with one arm at a time all the way through the stroke. The non%moing arm should be extended out in

front of you, perpendicular with your chest (not the same as freestyle catch%up). This allows for proper

rotation per stroke, which is hindered if your arms meet out in streamline position. *ou should touchhands when switching strokes from one side to the other.

*allo or +$&$+ Drill

This drill for backstroke is different than freestyle, it focuses on arm speed. Kick on your side for a count

of =%> seconds, holding the recoery hand not at your hip but about = inches up (:! degrees) out of the

water. Cower the recoery hand back into the water by your hip and then explode with : uick, powerful

strokes.

Breaststroke and Butterfly Overview

'reaststroke and butterfly, the short axis strokes, reole around rotating on the short axis of your body.

Cike free and back, the core of the body is the engine. *our arms and legs sere the dual purpose of acting

as extensions to apply the force and lengthen your body as it passes through the water.

Sort-Axis !om"o Drill

Feel the rhythm that is similar between breast and fly. -lternate three strokes butterfly with three strokes

breaststroke. 6oncentrate on landing in front, and exaggerate the press in front that allows the hips to rise.

?ecommended only for swimmers who are comfortable with both strokes, and can differentiate the

opposite arms patterns.

Breaststroke Drills

#$+$%333!ount *li.e Drill

Aold the streamlined position of the stroke for a full count of howeer many seconds desired (for

example, two secondsB one Mississippi%two Mississippi). Keep your head down and neck straight. 'e sure

not to stop your hands under your body, but only in the extended position. *our palms should face each

other, not the bottom of the pool. Then, start the pull slowly, pitching the hands outward until they are



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shoulder width apart, and then accelerate your hands through the in sweep, continuing all the way through

to the recoery.

4wo-Kick $ 5ne-Pull Drill

Aold the streamline for a second kick in each stroke. +hile doing the second kick, allow your hands to

separate slowly to press your head and chest lower in the water. Keep your chin down, and look down at

the bottom of the pool (this will prepare you for a more powerful in%sweep).

4wo-Pull $ 5ne-Kick Drill

Take a powerful pull swinging the hips forward and under your torso and then throw your hands into

recoery while making an exaggerated kick. ?epeat the powerful pull accompanied by another kick. -

buoy may be used.

5ne-Pull $ Dolin-Kick $ 5ne-Kick Drill

Take one powerful pull and throw the hands into the recoery while executing a strong dolphin kick.

Then, hold the streamline position with the upper body and arms as you execute a powerful breaststroke

kick. This drill also emphasi2es the undulation of the hips, streamline position of the arm recoery, and

power of the kick. The hip motion should be identical between the dolphin kick and breaststroke kick.

?ecommended only for swimmers comfortable with both strokes

Butterfly Drills

Single Arm Fly Drills

;ne arm extended and one arm stroking. -ccelerate the pull, and snap the hands through the finish and

into the recoery. 1o not pull further than your hips. For the recoery portion of the stroke, you can do

one of three drill optionsB

Thumb%Tip 1ragB 7traighten your arm and keep it low. +ith your palm facing behind you

towards your feet, stick your thumb down and draft is along the surface of the water. This drill helps keep

your hands and elbows in the proper position at the hand entry.

7uper%1olphinB ;er%emphasi2e the dolphining aspect of the stroke. 1uring the recoery, reach

up straight to the sky with your arm, and look up at your hand. 1rie your upper body upwards as high as

possible, and then die forward as your hand enters out front, driing your hips upward. Feel the rhythm

of the arms with the kick. / recommend taking around : kicks in between each pull to allow some

recoery time to ensure a stronger pull. This drill can also be done from the bottom of the pool in an

upward motion, aiming directly towards the sky.

7tandard ?ecoeryB Keep the elbows locked, and sweep the hands low oer the water during the

recoery. 1rie your head more forward than upward (practicing this drill simulates the stroke without

tiring you as uickly). 'e sure your arms are straight when they hit the water, but bent during the entire

span of the pull.

-n alternate way of swimming the single arm fly drill is to leae the nonworking arm at your side. This



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drill works on connecting the finish of the butterfly stroke with the recoery.

See. Dolin

Focuses on a uick recoery and catch. 1o not focus on a strong pull or getting your chest out of the

water, only on speed (think of it as the opposite of super dolphin). / like to do this drill with super

dolphin to show the importance of each component of the entire stroke (strength s. speed)

+ % 6-Kick $ 5ne-Pull

@xtend the arms out in front in streamline position and take :%& full kicks. -fter the desired number of

kicks, take one strong pull in time with the kicking. ?ecoer the arms to the streamline position and

repeat. ery similar to super dolphin, except not as much exaggeration on the pull.

Sets

Ladder: /ncrease or decrease yardage, either straight (9!!, :!!, 0!!, $!! or 9x$!!, 9xD&, 9x&!, 9x0&),

mixed, or reersed ($!!, 0!!, :!!, 9!! or 9x0&, 9x&!, 9xD&, 9x$!!)

Pyramid:-s aboe, but up and down (>x&!, 9x$!!, 0x0!!, $x9!!, and back down)

StraightBroken:-lternate straight and broken (&!!, $!x&!, 9!!, >x&!, :!!, =x&!). 137 on the straight

yardage, and sprint on the broken

Descending:1escend either the strokes or the time(swim slow &!, counting strokes swim same speed

with fewer strokes swim 0 seconds faster with the fewer strokes, rest and do the :x&! fie times, each

slow, slow with fewer strokes and faster with same stroke count)

S!DS: 7wim, kick, drill, swim. /f used as a warm up, use a kickboard for the 4kick4, and 137 for both

4swim4 parts. /f used as a main set, sprint the first 4swim4, and 137 the second 4swim4

Anaero"icBreath #ontrol: 7tart with blowing bubbles and holding breath for :! seconds. Aold breath

and focus on 137 or sprint (depending on set). 'reathe eery :, &, D, E strokes do not breathe between

the flags breathe eery :, 9, & underwater line.



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-ll pictures are from The -ssociated 3ress and the 7eattle Times


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