Swim: Water Polo Drill

Improves Strength & Sighting Skills

The Water Polo Drill involves swimming freestyle with your head lifted above the water, simulating water polo technique. This drill requires a high elbow and strong pull to maintain balance and propulsion while relying on a powerful kick to support your elevated body position. It improves upper body strength, breath control, and sighting ability, making it especially beneficial for open water swimmers and triathletes who need to maintain form while looking ahead to navigate.

Key Points

High Elbow: Maintain a high elbow during the recovery phase to ensure balance and a strong, efficient pull.
Strong Kick: A powerful kick is essential to support the elevated body position and prevent sinking.
Hand Entry: Check hand entry to avoid crossing over the midline, focusing on keeping the hands aligned with the shoulders.
Breathing: Practice breathing while maintaining your head above water, ensuring you don’t disrupt your body alignment.

Drill Execution

Swim freestyle with your head up, keeping your eyes focused ahead, mimicking water polo technique.
Maintain a high elbow recovery and focus on a strong, controlled pull to maintain balance.
Kick forcefully to support your body’s elevated position.
Swim half a length with your head up, then resume normal freestyle for the second half.

Progressions

Longer Distances: Gradually increase the distance swimming with your head up to build endurance for open water conditions.
Fins Progression: Use fins to assist with maintaining body position and focus on perfecting the high elbow and hand entry technique.
Head-Up Breathing Focus: Combine head-up freestyle with focused sighting and breathing drills, helping simulate open water race conditions where frequent sighting is required.
Sighting with Rotation: Add head-up sighting followed by normal head-down freestyle, incorporating smooth rotation for sighting during open water swimming.

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Customised Training with Jen Coppock from £69/month

Want to take your training to the next level with a programme that’s built entirely around your goals, preferences, and lifestyle? I offer 1:1 coaching that’s as personalised as it gets—whether you love training with RPE or prefer structured plans, we’ll craft the perfect balance that gets results and keeps you motivated.

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