Acheevmo Blog

What to pay attention to:
This drill is used to move the body toward the front so that a more level swimming position can be reached. The drill is as follows: Swim freestyle in your regular way except that you pull with one arm at a time with the other arm waiting in front of you. As you finish the stroke both hands should be next to each other in a streamlined position. Keep your hands extended in order to keep a smooth transition and don’t move your arm until both hands touch.

Head position: Your head should remain in the proper position. When both hands are in front of you, you can concentrate on your head position being in the perfect place.

Hand position: As your hand comes next to the hand already at front, focus on having a clean entry into the water and keeping your hand relaxed as it stays in front of your body.

Arm position: When your arm is in front keep it as straight as possible and don’t start to catch the water. This drill is focusing on keeping the body forward so that the body is level so focus on the smooth transition up front.

Shoulder position: Your shoulders should continue to move as if you were swimming freestyle with both arms. Maintain a strong and relaxed body position.

Hip position: The hips should continue to move as if you were swimming freestyle with both arms.

Leg position: The legs should be aligned with the hips and the kick should be small, even, and a good pace.

Arm speed: Arms should move slightly slower than the normal freestyle speed. During this drill focus not on finishing the drill but maintaining correct head and body position. Focus on having the hands meet at the front of the stroke in a level way with a clean water entry.

Breathing: The breathing during this drill should be the normal freestyle breathe every three.

What things mean:
In freestyle you want to be level with the water so that you are not swimming up hill. If you have your head or body to far down then it will feel like you are swimming downhill and your hips will be too high and it will slow you down.

How things work:
Freestyle is swam on your side with power being generated through the rotation of the shoulders and hips. From head to feet however, you need to maintain a level plane right at the water surface so that you are neither swimming up or downhill. This will make it easier to get through the water as well as to be able to rotate from side to side.

How things might turn out: By doing this drill and focusing on proper body position and streamlining when the hands touch, you will be able to have a more level body position when swimming freestyle, you will develop the feel of gliding a bit longer at the very start of the stroke before starting the catch portion, and you develop better hand entry technique. These three main improvements will help you become a more efficient and balanced swimmer.

Fun bit: To mix things up, you can also start the catch portion of the freestyle stroke as your other hand enters the water and is still gliding forward. This will help you concentrate on the catch.

Trivia bit: In freestyle, swimmers originally dove from the pool walls, diving blocks were eventually incorporated at the 1936 Olympics.

What to pay attention to:
This drill is used to enhance the following stroke mechanics in freestyle – high elbows, full core rotation, and relaxed hands and forearms. The drill is as follows: Swim freestyle in your regular way and as you recover your left arm, drag your left thumb along your rib-cage making sure to keep your elbow high and to stay on your side. The motion is as you were pulling up a zipper running from the top of your hips to your arm pit. When your hand goes past your arm pit, finish the stroke and rotate your body to the other side. Do the same with your right arm. Make sure to maintain a smooth transition from side to side.

Head position: Your head should remain in the proper position. While running your thumb along your rib-cage make sure your head position doesn’t change. Same with breathing.

Hand position: As your hand moves up your rib cage concentrate on keeping the hand and forearm relaxed and loose. It should feel as if you are dragging your whole hand long your rib cage.

Arm position: In order to get your hand to meet your rib cage you will have to bend your arm at the elbows. This will force your freestyle stroke to have high elbows during the over-the-water recovery. Focus on the elbow leading the hand with the elbow always being higher than the hand.

Shoulder position: Your shoulders should continue to move as if you were swimming freestyle with both arms. Make sure not to “scrunch” up your shoulders as your hand comes near your arm-pit. Maintain a strong and relaxed body position.

Hip position: The hips should continue to move as if you were swimming freestyle with both arms.

Leg position: The legs should be aligned with the hips and the kick should be small, even, and a good pace.

Arm speed: Arms should move slightly slower than the normal freestyle speed. During this drill focus not on finishing the drill but maintaining correct head and body position. As we are focusing on the arm movement above water, make sure to note how it feels during the recovery phase.

Breathing: The breathing during this drill should be the normal freestyle breathe every three. Because breathing occurs before your thumb first touches the side of your body your breathing will not be affected.

What things mean:
In freestyle as in other strokes during the recovery portion of the stroke you want to have your arms relaxed. This drill helps to maintain focus on this relaxed arm and hand motion. By leading with your elbow you help the wrist and forearm to relax.

How things work:
Freestyle is swam on your side with power being generated through the rotation of the shoulders and hips. By having your arm relaxed during the recovery part of the stroke it will provide a bit of rest until you start the next stroke. As your thumb goes up your chest your body is forced to remain on its side a while longer than normal. This helps to force greater rotation for each stroke.

How things might turn out: By doing this drill and focusing in on proper head position, great elbow height, and relaxed forearm and hand during the stroke, you will be able to improved body’s core rotation, you will develop a more relaxed stroke, and you will be able to maintain your stroke technique for longer as your arms won’t tire out as quickly. These three main improvements will help you become a more efficient and balanced swimmer.

Fun bit: Focus on how your body moves during the drill when you are breathing and when you aren’t breathing. A fun goal is to have the body move the exact same way whether or not you are breathing.

Trivia bit: The 1904 Olympics’ freestyle race was the only one ever measured at 100 yards, instead of the usual 100 meters.

What to pay attention to:
This drill is used to correct stroke mechanics in freestyle. You swim freestyle with one arm while the other arm is pinned down next to your leg. Additionally, you only breath on the opposite side of the arm that is moving. This helps make sure that your body is rotating enough on both sides as well as making sure you can breath on both sides.

Head position: While not breathing head should be in proper position. Your head should rotate so that one of your eyes is above the water and the other eye is below the water. This will force you to not over-rotate your head when breathing. A way to tell if you are rotating enough is to close the eye that is on the opposite side of your arm that is moving when you take a breath. That is, if your right arm is doing strokes, then close your left eye. When you turn your head to breath you should be able to take a breath while only seeing water. If you can see above the water then that means you are over-rotating your head.

Hand position: Start with your right hand doing the freestyle stroke with your left hand pressing against your thigh. Then switch the next lap.

Arm position: Right arm moves through your freestyle stroke making sure not to overcompensate for your left arm while the left arm is next to the hip. By not overcompensating you will force your body into the correct freestyle position.

Shoulder position: Your shoulders should continue to move as if you were swimming freestyle with both arms. By switching arms every length, you will develop a more balanced stroke as well as be able to maintain this balance while breathing to the other side.

Hip position: The hips should continue to move as if you were swimming freestyle with both arms.

Leg position: The legs should be aligned with the hips and the kick should be small, even, and a good pace.

Arm speed: Arms should move slightly slower than the normal freestyle speed. During this drill focus not on finishing the drill but maintaining correct head and body position.

Breathing: The main focus of this drill is being able to breath correctly on the other side of the arm that is moving. Try breathing every stroke at first to get a feel for how the body rotates and then try breathing every other stroke to get a sense of how the body moves when you aren’t breathing.

What things mean:
In freestyle as in other strokes taking a breath actually slows down your speed. To maintain speed it is necessary to work on correct breathing techniques. In addition to getting better at breathing techniques it is import to incorporate the correct breathing into the stroke. This drill accomplishes.

How things work:
In not rotating your head too much (1 goggle in / 1 goggle out of the water), your body stays relaxed without having your shoulders follow your head. A way to feel this out of the water is to rotate your head to your left until your left ear is over your left shoulder. Up until this point your head will turn based on your neck. After your left ear goes past your left shoulder your shoulders will follow. In the same way when you are swimming freestyle you want to make sure your head movement doesn’t move your body position.

How things might turn out:
By doing this drill and focusing in on proper head position during the breath and proper technique while swimming freestyle with one arm, you will be able to improve how fast and efficiently you can take a breath during freestyle, you will be able to maintain correct body alignment throughout the freestyle stroke whether you are breathing (on the left or the right) or not breathing, and you will be able to
breath in a more balanced way on both sides of your body. These three main improvements will help you become a more balanced and better swimmer.

Fun bit:
Instead of breathing to the opposite side every stroke or every other stroke, take a stroke and then a breath, followed by two strokes and a breath, then three strokes then a breath, then two strokes and a breath, and one stroke and a breath. Follow this 1, 2, 3, 2, 1 pattern through out the whole drill.

Trivia bit:
Unlike backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly, Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA.

What to pay attention to:
This is drill works on incorporating the full hip and shoulder rotation into the stroke.  You kick on your side for a count of 7 kicks, take a stroke, kick on your side for a count of 7 kicks, and then take a stroke with the other arm.  Your head remains still through the drill with your body completely rolled to one side or the other every time you switch.

Head position: Head should be looking straight up not to the side with your head aligned with your spine.

Hand position: Right hand should be rotated as if you are starting a stroke with your little finger pointing towards the bottom of the pool while the left hand is next to the hip slightly pressing against your leg.  After you kick 7 kicks, you will do your normal backstroke stroke until your right hand is next to your hips with your left hand at the stroke starting position.

Arm position: Arms switch back and forth every 7 kicks from being fully extended above your head pointing towards the direction you are swimming.

Shoulder position: Shoulders should be aligned straight on top of each other with your left shoulder clear out of the water and the right shoulder submerged.  The shoulder out of the water should be right beneath your chin.  By fully finishing the stroke it will cause your shoulders and hips to rotate fully to the other side.

Hip position: Hips should be aligned straight on top of each other with the left side of your hip on the surface of the water and your right hip submerged beneath it.  By fully finishing the stroke it will cause your shoulders and hips to rotate fully to the other side.

Leg position: The legs should be aligned with the hips and the kick should be small, even, and a good pace.

Arm speed: Arms are not moving in this drill unless switching from right hand extended to left hand extended.

Breathing: Work on breathing twice during the count to 7 kicks.  This will help establish a tempo.

What things mean:
The 7 and 7 drill is used to work on getting the body used to the full rotation necessary to swim backstroke efficiently.  By incorporating part of the stroke in the side kick drill, we will start to feel more comfortable doing the full rotation while keeping the head still.

How things work:
In switching back and forth every 7 kicks, you should start to feel how much your body needs to rotate while swimming backstroke.  Often times a swimmer will not be rotating enough so this drill can help emphasize the amount of rotation necessary every 7 strokes.

How things might turn out:
By doing this drill and focusing on your head remaining still while your body rotates every 7 kicks, you will be able to improve how much your body rotates during each stroke, you will get a better feel for how to balance your body as you transition from side to side, and you will be able to work and fully finishing the stroke to make sure you are fully rotated.

Fun bit:
Concentrate on taking your first of two breaths per side when you immediately switch arms, as this will help you in the long run with controlling your breathing.

Trivia bit:
Adolph Kiefer, who started the Kiefer swimwear company, became the first man to break the one-minute mark in the 100-yard backstroke while competing as a sixteen-year old in the Illinois High School Championships of 1935.

What to pay attention to:
This is the starting position for backstroke. You kick on your side for a count of 5 and then switch to kicking on the other side. Your head remains still throughout it with your body completely rolled to one side.

Head position: Head should be looking straight up not to the side with your head aligned with your spine.

Hand position: Right hand should be rotated as if you are starting a stroke with your little finger (pinky) pointing towards the bottom of the pool, left hand next to the hip slightly pressing against your leg.

Arm position: Right arm is fully extended above your head pointing towards to direction you are swimming, left arm is next to the hip.

Shoulder position: Shoulders should be aligned straight on top of each other with your left shoulder clear out of the water and the right shoulder submerged. The shoulder out of the water should be right beneath your chin.

Hip position: Hips should be aligned straight on top of each other with the left side of your hip on the surface of the water and your right hip submerged beneath it.

Leg position: The legs should be aligned with the hips and the kick should be small, even, and a good pace.

Arm speed: Arms are not moving in this drill unless switching from right hand extended to left hand extended.

Breathing: Work on breathing twice during the count of 5. This will help establish a tempo.

What things mean:
The Side Kick with arm at stroke start drill is used to work on getting the full rotation necessary for swimming backstroke with the trunk of the body moving as one.

How things work:
In kicking on the side, you should start to get a feel for the the stroke starts for each arm. Focusing on the full rotation for shoulders and hips moving as one. Also focus on hand entry with the little finger (pinky) of each hand entering the water.

How things might turn out:
By doing this drill and focusing in on getting the full rotation while keeping your head still, you will be able improve your distance per stroke by getting a better extension at the start of the stroke, you will be able to improve the power generated by your stroke by having your shoulders and hips in the right starting points, and you will be able to improve your body position and balance on both sides of your body. These three main improvements will help you become a more balanced and better swimmer.

Fun bit:
Instead of a count to 5 repeat the following with each word replacing a counting number: “Hoo ray for back stroke”

Trivia bit:
Backstroke was the second stroke to be swum in competitions after freestyle. The first Olympic backstroke competition was the 1900 Paris Olympics men’s 200 meter race. German swimmer Ernst Hoppenberg won the gold medal.

Joel Spolskey is a software engineer and writer. In a essay which makes many excellent points about the strategy required to do well in the software business, he shares the following about the best strategy he has found to getting things done.:

“When I was an Israeli paratrooper a general stopped by to give us a little speech about strategy. In infantry battles, he told us, there is only one strategy: Fire and Motion. You move towards the enemy while firing your weapon. The firing forces him to keep his head down so he can’t fire at you. (That’s what the soldiers mean when they shout “cover me.” It means, “fire at our enemy so he has to duck and can’t fire at me while I run across this street, here.” It works.)  The motion allows you to conquer territory and get closer to your enemy, where your shots are much more likely to hit their target. If you’re not moving, the enemy gets to decide what happens, which is not a good thing. If you’re not firing, the enemy will fire at you, pinning you down.”

I think this is very applicable to the sport of competitive swimming and would have found it extremely useful when I was growing up.

During my age-group and senior swimming career there were times when I just couldn’t get into the water let alone concentrate on practice.  I would have be told to jump in so that I didn’t miss the first part of warm-up.  I would have to be reminded that I shouldn’t breath into and out of my turns.  I would have to be reminded to pace myself and not burn out during a set.  I would have to be reminded about other parts of my stroke technique.

I knew that I should do a full warm up in order to be prepared for the main sets just as I knew that practicing not breathing in and out of turns would help my races.  Yet, there were times when I would go for weeks at a time without being able to accomplish these two seemingly simple things.

Being reminded that I wasn’t concentrating on warm up or my stroke technique would make me upset.  “Of course I know that I should do that.” I would say.  “Of course I should get into the water now so that I don’t set a bad example for the younger swimmers.”  However, much I said I knew what I should be doing my mental attitude would get in the way and I would find myself repeating the mistakes.

It seemed at points like I couldn’t control my mental attitude and I just had to try to average out my negative and positive mental attitudes in order to try to come out ahead.  It turns out that my biggest competitor was not the other swimmers in my lane, my team, or at the meet.  My biggest competitor was my head.  Every step of the way it was fighting me to take shortcuts during practice, to breath in and out of walls, to not get in on time, and to not give it my all during practices.

My mental competitor in my head didn’t want to put in the extra work.  I couldn’t get it to concentrate and work for for the whole practice.  Sometimes though I was able to distract it and do a good warm up or do a few good turns before it came back and made me lazy again.

From Joel’s quote we can apply Fire and Motion and focus on just getting in the pool when it’s time and not breathing into the first turn.  You are fighting your mental competitor after all, so if you start going in the right direction all you have to do is to keep firing at it with correct turns and correct attitude.

You have to move forward a little bit, ever day.  It doesn’t matter if you are feeling down or you wish you were in bed sleeping instead of morning practice.  If you are moving forward, concentrating on your turns, or your breathing, or your head position, or where your finger tips are, time is on your side.

Fire and Motion, for age-group and senior swimmers, means two things:  Concentrate on the smallest available thing related to your workout and you have to move forward.  Sooner or later your brain will catch up to your body and you will have a great workout and this will lead to swimming faster.  Jump into the pool and focus on the first lap concentrating on your technique and the first turn ignoring the rest of practice.

Everyday your technique and practices will get better.  Until you are going to national swimming meets, don’t focus on grand strategies.  Let your coaches do that.  All you have to do is come in every practice and concentrate on the first lap.

“A good plan violently executed right now is far better than a perfect plan executed next week.”
General Georse S Patton

Your job is to go into practice today and not worry about setting goals like “I will do perfect turns at every practice.”  You will be wasting your time.  Your goal should be to do the most amazing first lap and turn you have ever swam.