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.