
Online Swimfit Squad
Drills
Body Position Kick with arms next to you
Why: This is the first basic body position drill which will give you a feel of the horizontal body position we look for in swimming.
How: Push off the wall with your ams next to your body. Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine, look straight down the bottom of the pool and move yourself forward with an easy kick. Lean forward on your chest and feel your hips and legs come up.
You're doing this drill well if you have a horizontal body position high up in the water. Your heals should just break the water when kicking.
Rotating Body Position Kick with arms next to you
Why: Once you have achieved the right body position in the drill above you can move onto this one. This drill will push you to hold your horizontal body position when rotating the body from side to side as you would when swimming freestyle.
How: Push off the wall with your ams next to your body. Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine, look straight down the bottom of the pool and move yourself forward with an easy kick. Lean forward on your chest and feel your hips and legs come up. Now you can start rotating your body from side to side by pushing your hip down on one side, while keeping your head still looking straight down. Rotate about every 2 seconds and keep leaning down on your chest to keep your hips and legs up while in rotation.
You're doing this drill well if you have a horizontal body position high up in the water. Your heals should just break the water when kicking.
Body Position Kick with arms in front
Why: This drill will teach you to use your arms out front to help keep your hips and legs up to create a perfect horizontal body position.
How: Push off the wall with your ams out front right above your shoulders (don't place your hands on top of each other. Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine, look straight down the bottom of the pool and move yourself forward with an easy kick. Lean forward on your chest, armpits and hands to feel your hips and legs come up.
You're doing this drill well if you have a horizontal body position high up in the water. Your heals should just break the water when kicking.
Rotating Body Position Kick with arms in front
Why: Once you have achieved the right body position in the drill above you can move onto this one. This drill will push you to hold your horizontal body position when rotating the body from side to side as you would when swimming freestyle.
How: Push off the wall with your ams out front right above your shoulders (don't place your hands on top of each other. Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine, look straight down the bottom of the pool and move yourself forward with an easy kick. Lean forward on your chest, armpits and hands to feel your hips and legs come up. Now you can start rotating your body from side to side by pushing your hip down on one side, while keeping your head still looking straight down. When you push your hip down you push your shoulder out front on the same side to make yourself as long as possible. Rotate about every 2 seconds and keep leaning down on your chest and armpits to keep your hips and legs up while in rotation.
You're doing this drill well if you have a horizontal body position high up in the water. Your heals should just break the water when kicking.
Front Sculling
Why: Increase your feel of the water
How: Push off the wall with your ams out front right above your shoulders (don't place your hands on top of each other). Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine and look straight down the bottom of the pool. Now start moving your arms out and in like you see on the video to pull yourself forward. Make sure you point your fingers slightly down, facing the palms of your hands slightly back to increase your grip on the water. You are looking for a consistent pressure on your hands when moving in and out.
You're doing this drill well if you feel that your moving forward with a consistent (slow) speed.
Halfway Sculling
Why: Increase your feel of the water
How: Push off the wall with your ams out front right above your shoulders (don't place your hands on top of each other). Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine and look straight down the bottom of the pool. Now bring your elbows out wide and start moving your arms out and in like you see on the video to pull yourself forward. Make sure you point your fingers down, facing the palms of your hands back to increase your grip on the water. You are looking for a consistent pressure on your hands when moving in and out.
You're doing this drill well if you feel that your moving forward with a consistent (slow) speed.
Back-end Sculling
Why: Increase your feel of the water
How: Push off the wall with your ams next to your body. Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine and look straight down the bottom of the pool. Now start moving your arms out and in like you see on the video to pull yourself forward. Make sure you point your fingers slightly down, facing the palms of your hands slightly back to increase your grip on the water. You are looking for a consistent pressure on your hands when moving them in and out.
You're doing this drill well if you feel that your moving forward with a consistent (slow) speed.
Pull through Sculling
Why: Increase your feel of the water
How: Push off the wall with your ams out front right above your shoulders (don't place your hands on top of each other). Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine and look straight down the bottom of the pool. Now start moving your arms out and in while slowly moving them back, like you see on the video to pull yourself forward. Start slow at the top and increase the speed of your little sculls towards the end to finish each pull through scull with a little glide. Make sure you point your fingers slightly down, facing the palms of your hands slightly back to increase your grip on the water. You are looking for a consistent pressure on your hands when moving in and out.
You're doing this drill well if you feel that your moving forward with a consistent (slow) speed.
Catch Drill
Why: Create a high elbow catch for a strong stroke
How: Push off the wall with your ams out front right above your shoulders (don't place your hands on top of each other). Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine and look straight down the bottom of the pool. Now start your catch by bringing your elbow out wide and bring hour hand underneath your elbow, pointing your fingertips to the bottom of the pool. Stop the stroke once your hands are in line with your chin and bring it back forward through the middle. Start the stroke with your other arm once both hands are in front again.
Do this slowly and don't even try to really catch any water when you first start, just go through the movement to show your muscles what they should be doing at the start of each stroke.
You're doing this drill well if your elbow stays out wide and your hand is right underneath your elbow when you're in line with your chin.
Please note that I'm preforming this drill quite fast in this video, my advice would be to slow it down.
Pull Through Drill
Why: Create a strong stroke
How: Push off the wall with your ams out front right above your shoulders (don't place your hands on top of each other). Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine and look straight down the bottom of the pool. Now start your pull through with the catch as practiced in the drill above and pull it through until you can touch your thigh with your hand. Keep your elbow up high when pulling through and glide with your arm next to you for a second or two after finishing your stroke. Bring your arm back forward and start your next stroke when both hand are in front again.
You're doing this drill well if you pull through with a wide elbow, your fingertips are underneath your elbow when you're in line with your chin and you can glide for a couple of seconds after finishing your stroke.
Please note that I'm preforming this drill quite fast in this video, my advice would be to slow it down.