Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Do you drill?

Swimming drills.... why ?   Drills teach you how to use your senses to feel how to do the correct movements rather than trying to think about them intellectually.

These are my 3 favorite drills.  If you incorporate them regularly in warm up, cool down and easy sets they will get easier and you will feel the power from transitioning form the drill to swimming. 

Catch up drill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2ZUMX0qQns  This allows you to focus on the entire stroke as you are doing one arm at a time. Focus on the reach, catch and pull for each arm.  Do a 50 of catch up and than slowly increase turnover and transition to swimming. Catch up is not much slower than swimming so you can integrate this into your workout.  

Fist drill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efdSRNk911M  This is a tough drill and if your intitial attemt feels like drowning that is okay, well not okay but don't give up. Engage your core and get your hips up, really emphasise the catch, hinge at the elbow, you forearm needs to be doing the work as you dont have your hands.  I challenge you to struggle with this 25 drill/25 swim and see if over time you get stronger at the drill. 

Sculling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKsmw6Sq2Pg   This is helpful in many ways.  It forces the "feel for the water" on your forearms, develops lower back and core strength and uses the same muscles in your neck you use riding aero and sighting.  The key here is keeping your head up and looking forward as long as you can.

Questions?  let me know..... 

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