Drills to Improve Swim Technique

Swimming drills are about a specific movement, which is done repetitively, to make the swimmer more efficient. This also helps to strengthen the muscles involved in a particular stroke, which can lead to faster and better overall swimming performance. There are many things that drills are known to be helpful with, such as keeping head position, stroke length, rotation, kick, elbow position, breathing, catch, and feel.

The key to keep in mind for beginners is that they want to keep their drills simple, and consistent. Use three drills a week, picking drills that concentrate on limiters of balance, head-body position, and breathing. These will be the most beneficial for the novice swimmer. Beginners should use drills in every swim workout that they have, or at least twice a week. It is better to train early on, so that these become habits. An experienced swimmer can be much harder to teach these habits, since they could be so set in their ways.
It is normal that as the season progresses, that the amount of time spent on drills may become less and less. Still remember to try and incorporate some drills into the lesson, in order to remind the body about better technique.

When looking into a swim group, know that there are advantages as well as disadvantages. On the upside, this can be a great way for beginners to be subject to a wide range of drills. The down side is that a group is less likely to target every swimmers individual need. When joining, speak to the instructor about the options of creating a personalized drill set. The coach will more than likely be thankful that you’ve dedicated such an effort and interest in your skills.

There are two different types of practices during the week that most swimmers to look to concentrate on. The first should contain long intervals that will endorse the endurance. Secondly, use medium distant intervals, which will build muscular endurance. If there are any remaining practices during the week, remember to dedicate these to recovery, as well as skills building.

Swimming Drill Tips

While you are working on your drill, always stay focused. You want to keep your mind on what the drill should be helping you with while you are performing it, so that you get the optimum results. Without concentration, it is possible that you’ll be going through the motions, but not really gaining the benefit of the drill.

Be aware of the weaker side of your body. Balance drills can be changed up to balance out your weaker and stronger side if needed. Use the balance drills on both sides of your body, making a note to use them more on what you feel is the weaker of the two sides.

Generally speaking it is better to work on the majority of drills during the warm up lap, since the drills are best done at a lower heart rate. Figure out the keys that concentrate on your limiters. These conduct faster interval splits in training, as well as testing. Pick one or two of these keys to use so that they help you during racing. Don’t choose too many, the fewer keys you need, the better off you will be.

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