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Swimming Made Easier for Bikers

Drill #1: 

Practice proper streamlining and pushing off the wall. Get in the pool and grab the side with one hand. Place both feet on the wall with your toes pointing up together. Point the other arm out straight and towards the other end of the pool.  Let go of the side, shoot that hand behind and past your head to join the other hand (then lock it!), and push off hard, keeping all other body parts in close and your feet following directly behind.

Drill #2:  Good body position while breathing.

  1. Start the lap with your good streamline takeoff.  When you slow down, select one arm to keep outstretched in front of you, and you will breathe on the other side. 
  2. To breathe, roll your head to your breathing side, laying it on your outstretched arm. The other arm stays down along your side.
  3. Roll your head to the side and inhale. Your mouth should be just above the water line, do not lift your head out of the water to lift your mouth higher, it is unnecessary.  With some experimenting, you will see how little you need to move your head.  After inhaling, roll it back to position, you should be looking straight down at the black line on the bottom of the pool.
  4. Exhale slowly underneath the water, while keeping your head and eyes directly on the black line.
  5. When you need another breath, roll your head to the same side and repeat.  Remember to move your head as little as possible to accomplish this, and tuck it in tightly on your shoulder and outstretched arm.
  6. Take 20 seconds rest and repeat, using the other arm and breathing on the other side.
  7. Work up to 10 repeats of this drill, or 20 total laps, 500 yards.
  8. If you have fins, use them on this drill.  You’ll find it far easier to maintain good head and breathing position with the support of the fins.

Drill #3:  “Salute” Drill

  1. Start the lap with your good streamline takeoff.  When you slow down, start kicking on your side, with your bottom arm extended forward and the top arm resting on your hip.

  2. Do 10 kicks in this relaxed position. Breathe by rolling your head to the side as described in Drill #2.
  3. Lift your top arm by the elbow, and bring your hand forward until the thumb touches your forehead—“saluting” .  Lower the bottom arm to about 5:00 o’clock position (6:00 o’clock is the bottom of the pool), and rotate that elbow up.
  4. Snap the top hip down, simultaneously driving the top arm forward as you complete the pull with the lower arm, finishing on your opposite side.
  5. Kick until your body feels balanced enough to begin the drill on the other side, then repeat #3-4-5.
  6. Continue through the lap, turn and swim a second lap, 50 total yards.  Work up to 10 repeats  of this drill, 20 total laps, 500 yards.

Drill #4:

“Catch-up”: so-called because each arm stroke “catches up” to the other hand outstretched in front of you

  1. Start the lap with your good streamline takeoff.  When you slow down, keep your left arm outstretched in front of you.
  2. With your right elbow bent 90 degrees and your hand lower than your elbow, slowly reach for the water and enter thumb-first, to join the other hand (although don’t touch or lock them.)  Your fingertips should be low enough to just barely graze the top of the water. 
  3. Kick for 6 flutter kicks (3 each foot).  While you are kicking, keep extending your right hand under the water, reaching for the opposite end of the pool.
  4. Start your underwater pull with your left arm. When your hand comes out, roll and breathe on your left side, laying your head on your right shoulder and arm.  Keep your elbow bent at 90 degrees, and enter the water thumb-first to join the right hand.
  5. Kick for 6 flutter kicks (3 each foot). While you are kicking, keep extending your left hand under the water, reaching for the opposite end of the pool.
  6. Continue down the entire lap, take 20 seconds rest, and repeat.  Work up to 10 laps (10 x 25), or 250 yards.

Drill #5:  Fingertip-drag

  1. This is swimming full stroke, but lightly dragging your fingertips across the water surface on each hand.
  2. Start the lap with your good streamline takeoff. Roll to one side, begin kicking. With your bottom arm, pull through the stroke and when you begin your next stroke, make sure to lightly drag your fingertips (up to the knuckle) through the water to join the top arm.
  3. By dragging your fingertips, you’re forced to keep your elbow high through the arm recovery over the water.  Once your hand enters the water, keep the elbow high by sculling out wide then pressing your forearm straight down and pushing water back until your hand reaches your hip.
  4. A good set is 10 x 50 fingertip-drag drill repeats, with 20 seconds rest between each 50.

Drill #6:  Closed-fist swimming

  1. This is swimming full stroke, but keeping your fists closed throughout the stroke cycle.
  2. Start the lap with your good streamline takeoff. Roll to one side, begin kicking. With your bottom arm, pull through the stroke and when you begin your next stroke, make sure to enter the water with a closed fist.
  3. By keeping your palm closed, you’ll quickly realize your forearm is doing lots of work pushing water.  And if it isn’t, you aren’t keeping your elbow high enough.  Keep your elbow high, scull out wide, then press your forearm straight down and push water back through the stroke.
  4. A good set is 10 x 50 closed-palm drill repeats, with 20 seconds rest between each 50.  Or you can alternate fingertip-drag drill with this one, odds-fists, evens-fingertip drag.