The Triumvirate

When I was a USS swimmer, my coach would give us open ended drills. She'd say, "4x100 (swim, kick, drill, swim)" and it would be up to me to choose a drill. More oft than not I would pick the stereotypical catch-up, fists or 3-3-3 drill. Before I teach you these tried and true drills, let's look at a few under appreciated drills that deserve a bit more of our attention.

Slow Arm Recovery with Hesitation: This drill requires proper body position in order to balance with your arm paused out of the water. The body should be rotated onto its side with the shoulder and hip in line. It requires a strong core and kick and will pump your stroke up a notch by helping to nail down the basics of front crawl.

Quick Catch: The catch in freestyle is quite possibly one of the most important pieces of the stroke (hence the last posting on sculling). Aside from the kick, it is what really propels the stroke. So what would make your stroke faster? Well, a faster kick but, too, a faster catch. This drill is perfect if you are looking to speed up your stroke.

High Swingers: High Swingers is another excellent drill for developing proper body position. The arm cannot possibly swing up and around without injuring the shoulder if the body is not rotated. If the body is flat in the water, the shoulder will be pinched during this drill. It will definitely nip your little habit of under rotating in the bud.