The finish is among the least frequently practiced skills in our sport, in my observation. This drill serves as a mini-progression to help swimmers adjust to the presence of the wall appropriately during a finish, thus practicing for that gold medal moment.
We did this as a set of 16 x 50 today, 6 done like phase 1, 6 in phase 2, and the final 4 in phase 3. Here's the progression.
Phase 1
At the conclusion of the 50, the swimmer takes his last stroke at the backstroke flags and then positions his body for the finish, kicking strong all the way to an extended touch.
Phase 2
Same idea as the first phase, just move everything closer to the wall. Take the last stroke halfway between the flags and the wall. Make sure the swimmer is paying close attention to the spacing with the wall.
Phase 3
Now do an all-out finish, touching with the body at maximum length. The swimmer should touch with the fingertips. With the wall-judging ability honed in phases 1 and 2, the swimmer should be able to time his finish very precisely.
Try this progression for any stroke. You never know when your finish will make the difference between gold and silver!
Thank you to Heath Hudgins (the swimmer in the videos) for being a willing example.
Showing posts with label Featured Drill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Featured Drill. Show all posts
Friday, March 12, 2010
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Featured Drill: Triple Turn
This drill was recommended to me by Griff Helfrich, one of our assistant coaches. It is designed to help a swimmer set up and execute a breast or fly turn correctly with maximum rotational speed. I'll call it Triple Turn drill.
The explanation is simple enough: when the swimmer approaches the wall, he or she executes three consecutive open turns. During the first two, the swimmer does everything but the push-off, then reloads the body for another turn. On the third one, the swimmer pushes off the wall as normal.
When executing the Triple Turn, the swimmer must pay attention to several technical elements - a strong knee drive, swift compact arm action, and driving the head straight back into an agressive streamline to depart the wall.
This drill could be performed in the middle of any breast, fly, or IM set, or could be done with the swimmer beginning from a prone kicking position and initiating the Triple Turn on command or on a whistle.
Here is a brief look at one of our swimmers, rising senior Bryce Mendes performing the Triple Turn during a breaststroke set.
The explanation is simple enough: when the swimmer approaches the wall, he or she executes three consecutive open turns. During the first two, the swimmer does everything but the push-off, then reloads the body for another turn. On the third one, the swimmer pushes off the wall as normal.
When executing the Triple Turn, the swimmer must pay attention to several technical elements - a strong knee drive, swift compact arm action, and driving the head straight back into an agressive streamline to depart the wall.
This drill could be performed in the middle of any breast, fly, or IM set, or could be done with the swimmer beginning from a prone kicking position and initiating the Triple Turn on command or on a whistle.
Here is a brief look at one of our swimmers, rising senior Bryce Mendes performing the Triple Turn during a breaststroke set.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Featured Drill: Open-Mouth Swimming
Just as during many other elements of swimming technique, when breathing it is advantageous for a swimmer to relax to exert minimal energy while producing maximum forward motion. The goal of today's drill is to teach you to relax your jaw and facial muscles while breathing.
Try swimming freestyle with your mouth open - when it is in and out of the water. Try it for backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly too. Yes, you will get water in your mouth. Don't swallow it - spit it out as you exhale and keep going. This drill can also help swimmers become more aware of when their inhale/exhale cycle and prevents breath-holding. Try it and let me know what you think!
Try swimming freestyle with your mouth open - when it is in and out of the water. Try it for backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly too. Yes, you will get water in your mouth. Don't swallow it - spit it out as you exhale and keep going. This drill can also help swimmers become more aware of when their inhale/exhale cycle and prevents breath-holding. Try it and let me know what you think!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Featured Drill: Silent Swim
It's been awhile since I have used this drill, but it worked quite well with a group of our UNC Swim Campers yesterday.
I call it "Silent Swim." The idea is to have the group swim a distance (100m works well) without making any noise. To accomplish this, the swimmers can create no splash from either their stroke or kick. There is also one additional requirement - everyone in the group must be slower than a certain time (2:00 in this instance), or the silent swim must be performed again by the entire group.
By doing this drill, swimmers are forced to stop thinking about creating more power or exerting more force on the water, but rather to notice how their bodies interact with the water. An awareness of how one's body moves water out of the way can aid the swimmer's proprioception. The time limit is crucial - pick a time that will cause everyone in the group to really swim slowly.
This set is not hard, at least not in the traditional sense, so it may not seem like doing it again is very strong negative reinforcement. The solution: Use silent swim as a warm-down. If they do it right - they're done. If not? Again!
I call it "Silent Swim." The idea is to have the group swim a distance (100m works well) without making any noise. To accomplish this, the swimmers can create no splash from either their stroke or kick. There is also one additional requirement - everyone in the group must be slower than a certain time (2:00 in this instance), or the silent swim must be performed again by the entire group.
By doing this drill, swimmers are forced to stop thinking about creating more power or exerting more force on the water, but rather to notice how their bodies interact with the water. An awareness of how one's body moves water out of the way can aid the swimmer's proprioception. The time limit is crucial - pick a time that will cause everyone in the group to really swim slowly.
This set is not hard, at least not in the traditional sense, so it may not seem like doing it again is very strong negative reinforcement. The solution: Use silent swim as a warm-down. If they do it right - they're done. If not? Again!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)