Swimming Drills

Swim: Rotation Rolling Creates Efficiency & Power The Rotation Rolling Drill is designed to help swimmers activate their hips first when rotating in the water, rather than leading with the chest and shoulders. This technique allows for a more powerful and efficient stroke, as it minimises drag by reducing body mass moving through the water. […]

Swim: Shoulder Tap Promotes High Elbow Recovery In the Shoulder Tap Drill, swimmers tap their shoulder with their hand during the recovery phase before completing the stroke with a clean hand entry into the water. This pause encourages swimmers to maintain a high elbow position and avoid overreaching or dropping the elbow during the recovery.

Swim: Popov Improves High Elbow The Popov Drill, named after Olympic champion swimmer Alexander Popov, focuses on developing a high elbow recovery, a streamlined body position, and stroke efficiency in freestyle. It involves swimming freestyle with a focus on a high elbow recovery and fingertip drag. After each stroke, swimmers bring their fingertips close to

Swim: UNCO Improves Body Rotation The UNCO Drill (short for uncoordinated) is a freestyle drill that helps swimmers refine their technique by forcing them to swim with one arm at a time. You will wear a paddle on one hand, while the opposite arm stays by your side. Breathing is restricted to the same side

Swim: Negative Splits Improves Pacing This session is a highly effective way to help swimmers improve their pacing strategy, energy management, and overall endurance. In this drill, swimmers intentionally swim the second half of a given distance faster than the first, which teaches them to conserve energy in the early stages of a swim and

Swim: Scull 3 Improves Propulsion The Scull 3 Drill, or Rear Scull, focuses on the final phase of the stroke, where the swimmer finishes the pull and prepares for the recovery phase. This drill is crucial for developing a strong and efficient finish to the stroke, ensuring that swimmers get the most propulsion before the

Swim: Scull 2 Improves Feel and Catch The Scull 2 Drill involves positioning the arms and hands pointed down towards the bottom of the pool, allowing swimmers to focus on improving their forearm and hand control during the mid-pull phase of the stroke. This drill helps develop water sensitivity, enhancing the swimmer’s ability to maintain

Swim: Scull 1 Improves Feel and Catch The Scull 1 Drill is designed to develop a swimmer’s feel for the water and improve the catch phase of the stroke by focusing on precise hand and forearm movements. This drill helps swimmers learn how to “press” the water efficiently with their hands, keeping the elbows high

Swim: Doggy Paddle Drill Correct Your Catch The Doggy Paddle Drill focuses on developing a proper bent elbow catch and reinforcing a high elbow position during the underwater phase of the freestyle stroke. Unlike full freestyle, this drill keeps your arms submerged throughout the entire stroke cycle, with no recovery phase above the water. By

Swim: 6-1-6 Drill Improves Body Rotation The 616 Drill focuses on improving body positioning, balance, and rotation in freestyle swimming. The drill alternates between six kicks on your side and one full freestyle arm stroke. This drill is an advancement of side-kicking drills, helping swimmers develop better stroke timing and awareness, while teaching the importance