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Swim Technique Drills

Who incorporates swim technique drills into training eg. catch up, slow arm recovery? Do they work for you?



Personally i do one or two techniques sessions each week, although my swimming is quite strong. I cannot tell really if these are making me faster, or whether it is intervals or somthing else?

Comments

  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    Drills are great! Catch up has improved my glide no end and when my arms get shot i use high elbows to recover. It's all about improving efficiency and reducing the number of strokes you take per length. I took a tip from this forum and watched a load of drills on you tube. am now basking in drill heaven and have lots of different ones to do...this is probably why i'm still single. i get excited about drills.



    This week-running drills! Yay! lol



  • han382han382 Posts: 80
    Hi Jester,



    I'm still very new to swimming, and although I can now swim I'd appreciate any advice you could give/ links to swim drills you would recommend. I searched swim drills in YouTube and got loads of returns-are there any in particular that you used?
  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    Hey Han, i reckon that its only worthwhile doing drills after you have gained fair competence in your front crawl, as i havent seen you swim i dont know where you're at!



    I would only practice drills once you are comfortable travelling for a fair distance and you can regulate your breathing, otherwise i'm not sure that you'll see the benefits! theres no point making life hard on yourself while gasping for air! What's your swimming like at the moment?
  • han382han382 Posts: 80
    Fair one-I swam 1km without stopping a couple of weeks back, which was a breakthrough day for me, but I don't seem to be getting any quicker-just able to swim further. Should I concentrate on smaller distances and do reps or continue to build the distance (so you know I did the Rough Track Tri last year-the swim in Eton lake was 800m and I got round using a combination of crawl and breakstroke in 17mins, but have a 3/4 tri and my first OD in Loondon in Aug-the aim of which is to complete both using only crawl).
  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    Try not to worry about speed as such-length and efficiency of stroke will make you ultimately faster(with less effort!) anyway. Get a friend to watch the drills on youtube with you and then watch you swim, its good to have a second opinion. looks like your swimming is coming along anyway, 1k is a good effort!



    Also, read through the older threads on swim technique that are on this forum. everyone gives great advice and these guys are very rarely wrong!
  • graham33graham33 Posts: 265
    This might sound crazy but next week I'm going to put my digital film camera in a fish tank hold it under the water and film myself swimming - I think that way i'll be able to see what is going wrong.



    i'm lucky enough to have a pool I can do this in. i'll maybe put it on youtube and then pop a link on here you can then see how well I float/sink! and then give tips!



    hey i'm looking forward to it already!
  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    You swim in a fish tank? Why, you must be tiny! Is your pic actual size? lol
  • graham33graham33 Posts: 265
    pmsl - yes it is that's why 1500m is SOOOO much further for me!
  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    lol [:D]
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