Before you decide to do any workouts, Water or Dryland, understand that any sport you are currently involved with at school should be your first priority!  You should NOT be doing water and dryland swimming workouts without first clearing what you are doing with your school coach.

     I expect that when you are swimming in your season with the high school team that swimming will be your top priority when it comes to sports.  I would assume that your other school sports coaches will expect the same.  Your team mates depend on you and you should give your all and your commitment to that team.

     That being said, if you are not currently involved in a school sport or if you are doing cross-training dryland, then this is the place for you!  Start slowly and build as you go.
 

Out of Season Training 
    Without a doubt, your success during season depends upon your effort and dedication out of season.  In addition, I encourage you to participate in as many school activities as your parents and your grades will allow.  This out of season training schedule is inteded for the athletes that are not participating in other school sports during the off season.
    SUMMER SEASON SWIMMING is the best off season training you can do.  But in some cases, that's not possible to do, so this page is aimed at helping the athlete who needs that extra training and guidance during the part of the year where they are not in the pool.
    Off season training can be divided into three groups:  Swimming, Stretching, and Dryland.  Scroll down this page to find the area you wish to train.  Try to balance your schedule so that you will get a balanced off-season training schedule.  If you are out for another sport, listen to that particular coach.  Your swimming training during that sport should consist of RECRUITING!

Swimming:  Strokes and Drills:

Go toTOTAL IMMERSION SWIMMING WEBSITE!

    To find out the latest on stroke mechanics in a way you can understand, check out this website.  It's GREAT!

Another terrific site isGO SWIM TV

 LIST OF TOPICS:

Go to Off Season Overview
Go to Freestyle Swimming
Go to Freestyle Kicking Drills
Go to Freestyle Arm Stroke Drills
Go to Butterfly Swimming
Go to Butterfly Kicking Drills
Go to Butterfly Armstroke Drills
Go to Breaststroke Swimming
Go to Breaststroke Armstroke Drills
Go to Breaststroke Kicking Drills
Go to Breaststroke Timing Drills
Go to Backstroke Swimming
Go to Backstroke Armstroke Drills
Go to Backstroke Kicking Drills
Go to Backstroke Balance & Position Drills
Go to Nutrition
Go to Dryland/Weights
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Off Season Overview
“The success of swimmers can be attributed primarily to their ability to generate propulsive force while reducing their resistance to forward motion.”
- Ernest W. Maglischo

     Off season swimming for our purposes should consist primarily of longer distance swimming and drill work.  Nothing will replace good mechanics.  All the training a swimmer can handle will work no benefits, if the strokes are done incorrectly.  Therefore, great care should be taken by the swimmer to learn the correct mechanics of swimming.  Below are outlined several stroke mechanics drills to aid you in you r quest of the “perfect swimming stroke.”
     As you read and surf through the information in this articles and others on the web, be sure to bookmark your machine to SWIM INFO, the on-line magazine by swimming world.  Every week, the web is updated with new training techniques.  I have found this to be a very helpful sight.  I think you will too!
     Off season training lends itself to do the things we enjoy doing.  I know that I enjoyed pulling and hated kicking.  Therefore, I spent a disproportionate amount of time pulling and not enough time kicking in the off season.  Be careful not to become too “addicted” to one type of training - such as with fins.   This can be detrimental to your improvement.
     Remember that in off-season training, without a coach on deck watching you, you need to pay particular attention to your “kinesthetic balance” or your position in the water.   This is why sprint and high intensity training is not always a good idea during the off season.  Swim longer distances to increase your feel for the water, but also incorporate a healthy dose of drill work - with or without fins - to enhance your muscle memory in anticipation of the up coming season.
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FREESTYLE SWIMMING

    The front crawl stroke, or freestyle has evolved into the fastest of the competetive strokes.  The mechanics of this stroke involve the recovery, pull, transition, and push phases of the strokes.  Dr. Maglischo  further defines the stroke into five phases, which consist of the arm stroke, the kick, the timing of the arms and legs, the body position, and the breathing.
     Freestyle or front crawl swimming is usually the easiest for most people to perform.  However, it is rarely performed exactly correct.  As you progress through the drills, work very hard at performing each step completely correct.
     As the hands enter the water at the front of the “catch”, the palm of the hand should be tilted to about 30 degrees to the water surface.  The fingers should enter first, followed by the wrist, elbow and finally shoulder.  The fingers should be at a point half way between the nose and shoulder and nearly at full extension of the arm.  As the fingers enter, the opposite shoulder should be at or approaching its highest point.  Once in the water, the hands and fingers will press slightly downward and outward.  This will be easier, because if the opposite shoulder is high, the stroking shoulder will be down and it will become easier to get  the hand in the proper position.  The eyes should be fixed on the opposite end of the pool, looking at the far end bottom.  Keep the head in line, working hard not to let the head move from side to side.  The water should be breaking just above the eyebrows. It is very important to get the opposite shoulder high for two reasons.  First, it will create much less resistance for the body to “knife” through the water, and second, it will allow the pulling arm to get deeper into the water through the normal pulling pattern.  This will allow the swimmer to grab quieter, firmer water and provide a surface for better forward propulsion as the swimmer presses against this water.  This phase of the stroke continues until the hand is nearly, but not quite, directly below the shoulder
     Once the stroking arm has completed the pull phase as described above, the arm stroke enters the TRANSITION phase.  This is a short, but very important phase of the arm stroke.  The hand changes pitch and begins to set up for the most powerful part of the stroke.  During the transition phase, the palm of the hand changes pitch so that it makes a path towards the middle of the stomach.
     As the hand slips under the rib cage, the most powerful phase of the arm stroke begins.  This phase is known as the PUSH phase.  During this phase, the hand should be moving faster than at any other point in the stroke, other than the recovery.  The hand should be pushing straight out towards the toes.  The hand should be close to the body and the hips should actually rotate to make room for the hand coming through.  Be sure to finish this phase of the stroke with your thumb next to your thigh.  In fact, just to check your stroke length during practice, occasionally stick your thumb out and you should be able to touch your leg as you finish.  If you can’t touch your leg, then you are not extending your stroke and losing valuable speed.
     The cycle repeats for the other side.  One final note on breathing.  Breathing should be quick, smooth, and efficient.  The swimmer should begin to turn the head for the breath when they see the fingers of the opposite side hand enter the water.  They should turn their head only far enough to catch their breath and then return their head to the forward position by the time the stroking hand enters the push phase.  Having your head out of alignment during the push phase will result in a valuable loss of efficiency.
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FREESTYLE DRILLS
Kicking Drills:

Power Kick:  This drill can be done with our without fins.  To perform the drill, the swimmer starts in the streamlined position, with the thumbs locked.  The swimmer should begin kicking and once the swimmer has momentum, he/she should lift up his/her head and continue kicking  to the end of the pool.  Swimmers with weak kicks should do this drill.

Power Kick II:  This drill is done the same way as the power kick drill except that the swimmer holds his/her hands behind their back while kicking.  This position will greatly increase the effort needed to stay up and propel the swimmer forward.  This drill should be done by advanced swimmers with weak kicks.

Six Beat Switch:  This drill is begun by having the swimmers on their side, completely on their side with their head laying on the outstretched arm.  The bottom arm should be outstretched in front of the swimmer and his/her upper, or opposite, shoulder should be completely out of the water.
     In this position, the swimmers should take six kicks, taking care not to let the kicks get wider than 8 to 10 inches.  On the sixth kick, the swimmer pulls through with the bottom arm and recovers with a high elbow and good reach with the upper arm as he/she rolls to the opposite side.
     This cycle is repeated every six kicks.  This drill is used to get swimmers used to the kicking in the body roll position.
     A more advanced form of this drill is to simply roll 45 degrees to the horizontal.  To do this drill, the swimmer needs a good sense of kinesthetic feel.

Kick on the Side:  This drill can be done with our without fins.  The swimmers can do this drill with or without a board.  The swimmer stays on his/her right side for one length of the pool, kicking and then switches to the other side for the next length.  It should be emphasized in this drill that the feet should not kick more than 8 to 10 inches apart.  This drill will increase the swimmers “feel” for the water.

Underwater kick:  This drill is done by holding the streamline position, submerging and kicking 12 to 15 kicks or a specified distance, such as a width of the pool.  The swimmer comes up, gets air, and repeats the drill.  This drill should be done by advanced swimmers who wish to increase their “feel” for the water.  This drill will increase leg power and propulsion.

Flipper Swim:  Flipper swims are done by having the swimmers do short distance swimming repeats (up to 100 yards) on timed intervals.  The swimmers are instructed to “over-kick,” meaning kick as fast as possible.  This will generate most of the swimmers speed.  The arms should try to stay up with the feet in speed.  Emphasis should be placed on the wall push-offs, so that the swimmer will get the feel of accelerating off the wall.
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Arm Drills

Chicken Stroke:  This drill is done by placing the thumb in the armpit and swimming.  This swimmer is forced to raise the elbows through the drill.  After 6 to 8 strokes, the swimmer will begin to lengthen out the stroke, gradually making the stroke longer,  while at the same time, keeping the elbows high.  This drill is for swimmers with low or lazy elbows.

Thumb Drag:  This drill is done by swimming regular freestyle, but on the recovery, the thumb should be dragged up the side of the body to the armpit.  From there, the arm is then stretched for the reach and catch.
     This drill promotes the high elbow and the reach for the catch.  This drill could be used by swimmers who under-reach the catch, swing their arms wide on the recovery,k or who have a lazy elbow.
     A variation to this drill is to recover normally and just touch the thumb to the arm-pit on the way past.

Half-Stroke:  This is primarily a sprinters drill.  The swimmer begins by placing a kick board under his/her right arm, and begins flutter kicking.  The left arm, meanwhile, is stroking normally.  The swimmer can watch his/her stroke, while concentrating on the high elbow, good reach, and accelerating through the catch, pull,  and push.  At the end of the length, the swimmer switches arms.
     A sprinter will carry himself higher in the water than middle distance or distance freestylers.  The drill will help the swimmer ride higher in the water and increase this type of “feel” for the water.

Catch-Up:  The catch up drill is actually a one armed freestyle.  One arm is stretched in front and the other stroking arm is reached out in front and touches the outstretched hand.  After the swimmer touches that hand, the stroke continues while the outstretched hand stays in position.
     This drill is meant to increase the length of the reach of the stroke.  This is probably the most common of all freestyle drills.

Two-Two-Two:  This drill is a variation on the  catch-up.  The right arm takes two strokes, then the left arm, and then two strokes together, and the cycle is repeated.
    This drill will correct the same problems as the catch-up stroke drill.

One Arm Stroke:  This drill is similar to the catch-up stroke, however the non-stroking arm is held at the side of the body.  After swimming one length of the pool, the swimmers switches arms.
     This drill is designed to increase body roll and increase stroke speed and strength.  The stroke should be used with middle distance and distance freestylers who have a poor body roll.

Two-Two-Two / Arm stroke:  This drill is a variation of the one arm stroke.  The swimmer strokes twice with the right arm while the left arm is at the side, then strokes twice with the left as the right is at the side, two strokes normally, and then repeat.
     The drill should be used with middle distance and distance freestylers who have a poor body roll.

Dog Paddle or Human Stroke:  This drill is done by having the swimmers swim dog paddle with the head up, but it is important that the swimmers push all the way through the bottom of the stroke.  It should be emphasized that the swimmer touch his/her thigh with the thumbs.  RECOVERY OF THE STROKE IS MADE UNDERWATER!  The swimmer should hold his/her head perfectly still and looking straight ahead during the stroke.
     The stroke should accelerate from start to finish and the stroke should finish with a flick of the wrist towards the surface of the water.
     This drill  should be done by swimmers who cross over underneath their bodies, who tend not to finish their stroke, or for swimmers who lack the acceleration in their strokes.  REMEMBER - recover underwater and keep the head still and looking forward.

Heads Up Freestyle:  This drill is similar to the dog paddle stroke, except that the recovery is made above the water.  The swimmer must keep his/her head perfectly still and looking straight ahead.  As in the dog paddle drill, the underwater pull-push mush accelerate from start to finish.
     On the overwater recovery, the elbows should be high and the hands should reach and extend for the entry and catch.
     This drill should be used with swimmers who have low elbow recoveries, cross over catches, or under extended reaches.

Standing, Walking, Swimming:  This is a rather simple, but very effective freestyle drill.  The swimmers should stand in shallow water, stroke through the arm stroke, making sure of correct hand placement, elbow lift, and push through.  When the swimmer feels that he/she has the correct mechanics of the stroke, he/she then begins walking in the water, keeping the same mechanics.  The swimmer then slowly lowers himself into the water and begins swimming, trying to maintain the mechanics.
     This drill can be used for correcting any and all arm stroke mechanics., but it is especially useful for swimmers who have a crossover underneath their bodies.  Swimmers are forced to keep their hands on the outside of their hips.
     This is a good drill to start beginning swimmers with as it is simple and it promotes correct mechanics.  Emphasis should be on keeping the elbows higher than the hands.

Side Hand Touchers:  This drill is done on the side.  The swimmer lays on his/her right side and extends his/her right arm out underneath him/her.  The left arm is layed on the left hip (the hip on the water surface).  After six kicks of not more than 8 to 10 inches apart, the swimmer brings his/her left hand up to touch his/her right hand, and then returns it to his/her hip.
     This drill will increase the side streamline position and increase the swimmers balance in the water, while at the same time increasing the swimmers “feel” for the kick.
     This drill should be used with the more advanced swimmers because of the balance needed to perform the drill.
 

Dolphin Kick Freestyle:  This drill is done by swimming freestyle with a dolphin kick.  The reason for doing this drill is that it will increase the arm tempo (also known as turn-over or RPM) in direct relation to the speed of the kick.  In other words, the faster you kick, the faster your arms will move.
 This drill is most effective when used with middle distance and distance swimmers, but it can be used with sprinters as well.

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THE BUTTERFLY

     The butterfly should be the most natural of all swimming strokes to perform.  Yet, many swimmers think this a difficult stroke to learn and perform.  What makes the fly so difficult is that the arms must move simultaneously, and part of that movement includes out of the water movement.  Therefore, the movement out of the water needs to be quick, low, and efficient.  If the out of the water movement by the swimmer is slow, high, and/or not efficient, the swimmer will lose speed and momentum, thus making the fly extremely difficult to perform.
     On the entry of the stroke, the hands should be slightly to the outside of the shoulder, nearly outstretched, and the palms should be pitched to approximately 45 degrees to the surface.  Good flyers will have their elbows slightly flexed at the entry.  Stronger flyers could bring their hands a little closer to center, but at some point, just inside the shoulder lines, a swimmer will reach the law of diminishing returns whereby timing will be lost and thus, so will momentum.  At the point of entry, the head, whether it be finished from breathing or down on the non breathing stroke, should be in the water when the hands touch the surface.  The hips should be up and the chest pushing down and forward at the time of the entry.
     The next phase of the stroke is the outsweep.  As in freestyle, extending the elbows will begin the swimmers arm to extend forward.  The chest continues down and forward as the hips continue to rise.  Many swimmers make the mistake of turning the palms in and pulling the hands under the body immediately after the entry.  If you do this, your hands will not sweep outward far enough to place them in position for an effective downsweep and insweep.
     The catch is made as your hands pass outside shoulder width.  It is done at the same time as the completion of the down beat of the kick.  The pitch of your hands at this point should be outward, downward and backward.  Your elbows will bend at this point because lift force of your hands causes your body to be thrust forward over the hands.
     Once the hands have become even with the bottom of your rib cage, the hands should be thrust out and back.  Keep the hands as close to the hips as possible.  The closer the hands are to the hips, the faster the swimmer will go.  This is the strongest, most powerful, and fastest part of the stroke.  The head should be aligned with the body, not too high or too low so as to influence the line of attack.  On the breathing stroke, the swimmers should start his/her breath as the hands cross under the rib cage.  The swimmer should never let their head come to a complete stop in the stroke.  Once the breath is taken, return the head to the water before the hands hit the surface on the entry.
     A common error for the swimmer in breathing is to begin breathing as soon as the hands begin to pull back from the entry.  This will cause the hips to drop, cause greater resistance and loss of momentum.  Thus, the swimmer will tire more quickly and make the stroke much more difficult than it should be.
     The fly should also have two distinct kicks within the stroke.  The first , and weaker of the two kicks, should occur as the swimmers hands enter on the entry or top of the catch.  The second and strongest of the two kicks is performed as the hands exit the water for the recovery.  This needs to be a strong kick as it is the kick that must propel the hands over and forward over the water.
     Finally, the recovery should be low and wide.  The higher the hands recover, the more the swimmer either has to flex the elbows or fight the pushing down effect from the weight of the arms above the water.  The swimmer should take particular care to make sure the little fingers are up and slightly forward of the hands on the recovery.  As the hands pass the shoulders on the forward reach, the swimmer should rotate the palms to catch the water at the previously described 45 degree angle to the surface.
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Butterfly Drills

Kicking Drills:  Most of these drills can be performed with or without fins - unless otherwise noted.

No Board - hands in front kick:  In this drill, the swimmer holds his/her hands in front of him/her, locks his/her thumbs and kicks fly with the head up.  With no board, the swimmer is forced to kick harder and more effectively to keep from sinking.  This drill increases the strength of the legs.

No Board Kick - hands on back:   This is probably the most difficult of any drills.  It is done by putting the hands on the back and kicking fly while holding the head up.
     The swimmer must create a strong and efficient kick to keep from sinking.  This drill should not be used with beginners because of the difficulty of the drill.

Head In - hands on back kick:  This drill is done by putting the hands on the back and kicking for four kicks, taking a breath and kick again.  The emphasis of this drill is placed on trying to keep a rhythm flowing.
     The drill is meant to create the correct timing between the kicking and breathing.  It will also help develop stronger legs.

Underwater Kick:  This drill is done underwater with the hands in front or to the side.  The swimmer kicks fly underwater until he/she need air, comes up, get air, and resumes kicking.
     This drill will increase the swimmers “feel”  for the water.  It is a good drill for beginning flyers.

Fly kick on back and sides:  Whether the swimmer is kicking fly on the sides or back, the swimmer must maintain the streamlined position.  By kicking on the sides or back, the swimmer will be dragging less air on the sides or back and will be better able to feel the thrust from the kick.
     A variation to this drill is to kick 4 times on the front, 4 on the right side, 4 on the back, 4 on the left side, and repeat for the length of the pool.  These are good drills to improve kicking mechanics for the intermediate and advanced flyers.
     Swimmers who lack a “feel” of the water for their kick should do this drill often and efficiently.

BAM-POW:  This is a good kicking drill for beginning to advanced fliers.  There are two kicks to one butterfly armstroke.  Though both kicks are to be powerful, the second kick is the be explosive.  This drill will help to develop that explosive kick.
     The swimmers tarts by kicking fly using a kick board.  The swimmer should be thinking to them self “Bam, Pow, Bam, Pow” in a steady cadence.  The swimmers should perform a normal, but strong kick on the “Bam,” but a stronger, more explosive kick on the “Pow.”  This drill will help to develop the definite two beat kick needed for the fly.
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Armstroke Drills:

      One Arm Swims:  This drill is swam at half speed.  Swimmers should be doing this drill to correct the mechanics of the stroke and not to be trying for speed.  Speed of the stroke is not important in this drill.  The swimmers should be trying for correct armstroke mechanics above all else.
     One arm is left at the side, with the hands at the hips.  The other arm strokes by itself.  The swimmer should begin by breathing to the side and once his/her momentum is going, he/she should switch to breathing in front.  At the end of the length, the swimmer should switch and have the other arm stroke.
     This drill can be done with or without fins or with or without a pull bouy.  This drill is a great drill for correcting armstroke mechanics.

Two-Two-Two:  A variation to the one arm swim is the two-two-two drill.  In this drill, the swimmer swims two strokes with the right arm, two with the left, and two together.  This pattern is to be swum for the entire length of the drill.  The stroke is to be 1/2 speed.
     This drill, as is the one arm swim, is meant to increase the proficiency of timing in the stroke and stroke mechanics.

Single-Double-Single:  A variation of the Two-Two-Two drill, the single-double-single drill has the swimmers starting with the right arm, then strokes with both arms, and finally with the left arm.  The cycle is repeated for the specified distance.  The swimmer should take care to get good hip lift on the single strokes and take a breath on the double strokes.  This drill is meant to increase timing efficiency, hip lift, length of the stroke and power of the exits on the double arm strokes.

Down-Under:  The most powerful part of the stroke should be the final push and acceleration of the hands from the waistline to and beyond the hips.  This drill is designed to work on that phase of the stroke.
     The drill begins by the swimmer submerging and having the hands at the hips.  The swimmer takes four underwater dolphin kicks.  He/she then hesitates his/her kick, while sliding his/her hands up the side of his/her body until they reach their waistline.  Then the swimmer explodes with a kick as his/her hands accelerate to the hips and then the swimmer glides.  After the glide, the swimmer will surface, take more air, submerge, and repeat the drill.
     This drill will force the swimmer to kick harder and accelerate the last half of the stroke.  It should be used with swimmers who have a weak second kick, poor acceleration, and/or who do not finish their stroke out strong.

Board Swims:  This drill is done the same way as the freestyle board swims.  the swimmer puts the left arm on the kick board, kicks fly and strokes fly with the right arm.  At the end of the length, the swimmer switches arms.
     This drill will increase the proficiency of the stroke mechanics and leg strength.  This drill should be used by swimmers who have poor elbow lift, poor reaching for the catch, poor timing, or poor stroke mechanics.

Four Down;  One Up Hesitation:  This drill is started in the streamlined position at about 2-3 feet underwater.  The swimmer pushes off and takes 4 dolphin kicks underwater, then the swimmer will hesitate and aim towards the surface, sets the hands for the stroke, and then explodes with a stroke on the surface, and catches his/her breath, and goes back under to repeat the drill.
     This drill will perfect the armstroke, and create a “feel” for the water through the kicking underwater.  This drill will perfect the timing of the stroke, and stroke mechanics.

Standing, Walking, Swimming:  This drill will help to perfect the above-water recovery.  The swimmer begins by standing in shallow water and goes through the armstroke, taking care to perfect the mechanics.  When the proper mechanics are obtained, the swimmer will begin walking, keeping the mechanics of the armstroke going.  The swimmer will then layout and begin swimming the stroke, trying to keep the mechanics flowing.
     This drill is a good drill for beginning swimmers to learn the proper mechanics of the stroke.  It is also a good drill for the more advanced swimmers to review the mechanics of the stroke.
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BREASTSTROKE SWIMMING

 Probably the most difficult of all strokes to master is the breaststroke.  This is because the motions of the armstroke and legstroke is circular in motion, rather than linear in motion as it is with the other three competitive strokes.  Correct timing is essential to a good breaststroke as is strength and flexibility.  Breaststrokers should also pay close attention to the dry land and stretching sections of this Web Page.
 Personally, I like to divide the stroke up into 4 distinct phases, which consist of the outsweep, insweep, breathing phase, and lunge, extension, or recovery phase.  The difficulty of the stroke arises from the fact that the arms and hands must work simultaneously with the legs and feet.  As you progress through the drills, work at understanding what phase of the stroke the drill is aimed to perfect.
 The stroke is begun at the fully extended prone position.  Each successive stroke should begin at the same place.  While the position is not held for any measurable time, it is vitally important to keep the stroke long and the body near the surface at this point of the stroke.  As the stroke begins, the feet remain outstretched and together.  The chest is pushed slightly down and forward as the hands separate and begin the outsweep.  The head is kept in the water at this phase of the stroke.  The arms continue their outsweep with straight elbows until they are at approximately 60 degrees to the shoulder line.  The hips should be at the surface, the shoulders and chest slightly down under the surface, and the palms of the hands pitched outward.
 The next phase the stroke enters is the insweep.  This is accomplished by sweeping the hands downward and slightly backward, pitching the hands back towards the torso in an effort to efficiently grab the water.  The swimmer should imagine that they are sweeping out the inside of a very large salad bowl.  As the downward sweep begins, the chest and head will begin to rise naturally and the hips will begin to fall to counter act the weight of the chest and head going up.  The swimmer should exhale during this phase of the stroke.  As the stroke comes back towards the torso, take care not to let the elbows come back next to the rib cage.  This will cause the timing to be off because the arms will have to extend the extra distance from being too far behind the shoulders.  Exhaling during this phase will allow the swimmer to only inhale during the breathing phase, thus, making that phase much quicker.  The feet should be drawn up behind the hips with a sharp knee bend and a slight hip bend.  Once the feet have reached the hips, or close to them, the the toes should be pointed outward towards the sides of the pool.
 The quickest phase of the stroke is the breathing phase.  The breathing phase takes place as the hands finish their inward sweep.  As the hands complete the sweep, the head will naturally be pushed out of the water where the swimmer inhales and begins to “fall” back into the water with a forward motion.  Care should be taken by the swimmer not to look up during this phase.  The swimmer should keep his/her eyes focused on a point about 5 feet in front of the hands.  Looking up will cause the swimmer to drop the hips too far and thus not allow the hips to reach the surface on the succeeding stroke.  Finally, it is very important to proper stroke mechanics that the swimmer breath on every stroke cycle.
 The final phase of the stroke is the lunge, recovery, or extension phase.  This phase needs to have a very strong kick to counter act the force of the hands going forward through the water.  The hands going forward will produce resistance.  In order for the swimmer to move forward the thrust  from the feet must be stronger than the resistance being generated from the hands.  For this reason, the hands must be close together with the fingers pointed towards the far end of the pool, not the bottom of the pool.  As the hands quickly shoot to full extension, the chest will again begin to drop as the hips rise.  The feet, meanwhile, will kick back, grabbing the water with the bottom of the feet.  The knees should be kept inside the line of the feet and the knees should go no wider than the width of the swimmers hips.  At the completion of the kick, the feet should go all the way to full extension with the toes pointed and the feet together.  Many swimmers do not “finish” the kick.  Rather, they let the feet drift together at the end of the kick.  This loses much of the propulsive force of the feet.  It is vitally important that the swimmers understands that finishing the kick will produce a much stronger and more efficient kick.
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Breaststroke Drills
Armstroke Drills:

Seahorse Drill:  This drill is done in deep water.  The swimmers begins vertical as he goes through the stroke.  Stroking is done as a regular breaststroke would be, and the legs drag low behind the swimmers.  As the swimmer strokes, he/she should be thinking of “popping the bubble” with his/her hands at the end of the insweep by bringing the hands in very fast.

Straight Elbow-Wrist Only:  This drill is done to emphasize the initial catch position of the hands.  The swimmer will kick at the usual time, but instead of full stroking, the swimmers will merely circle down and out with his/her hands and then return to the starting point on the kick.  It is important to keep the elbows straight and extended and at the same time, maintain the timing of the stroke.  Work at extending the body.

Half Stroke Drill:  This drill is similar to the straight elbow, wrist only drill.  The swimmer swims a normal breaststroke, but only goes through half of the armstroke rotation before resuming the stretched position at the front.  This is a good drill for swimmers who have a tendencey to over pull and bring their elbows back too far.  It should be done in moderate distances so the swimmer will do the drill fresh and not tired.

Heads Up Stroking with Pull Bouys:  This drill is done by stroking with a pull bouy or kick board held between the legs.  It will also help to develop a natural dolphin action in the stroke.
 The arms should initially press down and out and then sweep inward to “pop the bubble.”  It is important to remember that the stroke must accelerate from start to finish.
 The legs should be extended behind the swimmer with the knees straight and together, and the toes pointed.

Life saving bouy drill:  This is a rather unorthodox drill, but one that will serve a very useful purpose.  The swimmer takes a lifesaving tube and puts it under their arms.  The swimmer then swims breaststroke with the bouy held under the arm pits.  This will keep the arms from going too far back and keep the stroke out in front of the swimmer where it belongs.
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Kicking Drills:

Board Kicks:  These kicks are done with a kick board.  These are probably the most common of all kicks.  The board may be held at the top and the swimmer will kick with his/her head out, or if the swimmer should work on timing, the board may be held at the back and the drill could be done with the face in the water.
 In either case, the emphasis of this drill should be placed on the correct starting point of the feet.  One of the most common reasons for disqualifications of the stroke is from a scissors kick.  The drill helps to correct that problem.
 The hands are held on the board and the heels of the feet are brought up to the buttocks.  The toes then turn out towards the side of the pool and the backward thrust begins.  The feet should try to “grab” the water with the bottom  of the feet and push it behind the swimmer.  Do not frog kick by having the knees wider than the feet!  As the feet accelerate back they should also be pushing slightly down, the toes should point at the end of the kick and the feet should be together.
 In no other stroke is the kick as important as it is in breaststroke.  Work to get the kick as correct and efficient as possible.

Wall kicks:  This drill is used for swimmers who tend to have too sharp an angle at the hips.  The drill is performed in deep water.  The swimmer should put their chest on the wall of the deep end with their chin and face out of the pool.  The swimmer then vertical kicks against the wall.  If the swimmer hits his/her knees on the side of the pool, then the angle at the hips is too steep or acute.  The swimmer will naturally begin to bend more at the knees rather than at the hips.  Care should be taken by the swimmer not to bang their chin on the side of the pool.

Kick on back:  In this drill, the swimmer is on his/her back in streamlined position.  He/she then kicks breaststroke with the hands held in the streamlined position.  The swimmer should watch to make sure the knees do not break the surface and that the feet finish the kick by having the toes break the surface of the water with the feet together and the toes pointed.  This is a good drill to determine how much propulsion the swimmer gets out of each kick by gliding after each kick.  This is not a drill to be performed for speed.

Ankle touchers:  In this drill, the hands are held at the side of the body and close to the hips.  As the feet come back to set up for the kick, a breath is taken and the fingertips touch the ankles.  The kick is accelerated down and back as the head goes back into the water.  The swimmer should try for an extended glide in this portion.  By trying for the extended glide, the swimmer is forced to be efficient in his/her kick.
 In short, the drill is as follows:  Recover for the kick, touch the ankles with the finger tips, set the feet, accelerate the kick, finish out and glide, then repeat.

Ankle touchers on back:  This drill is the same drill as above except on the back.  The kick should be completed with the toes straight, together, and just at the surface line.

2 Kicks down/ 1 stroke up:  This drill is done by starting in streamlined position, 2 kicks and glides underwater, one stroke and kick above the water, and then go under and repeat.  This drill will emphasize the strong and efficient kick and the streamlined position at the end of the kick.  This drill also helps promote timing and correct body position.

Kick only - no board:  This drill is done by locking the thumbs together and kicking as if the swimmer had a board.  The elbows should be kept straight.  The drill will promote correct streamline posisiton, stronger and more efficient kicks, and correct timing.  A variation to this drill is called the “slide and glide.”  In this variation, as the swimmer surfaces for his/her breath, the shoulders are pulled back and high.  The breath is taken and the swimmer will begin to fall back into the water.  At this point, the swimmer kicks and glides.

Eggbeater:  This is the most advanced of all kicking drills. Correct timing is difficult to master.  The kicks happen alternately and can be done either with or without a board and with or without stroking.  This drill will help to strengthen the kick.
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Timing Drills

Rope drill:  This is a fun drill for the swimmers and emphasizes going under on the lunge forward.  The swimmer goes to the side of the pool and does breaststroke coming up for a breath in between the ropes as they swim to the other side.  The swimmer must go under on the lunge or they will not get under the ropes.

Seven stroke drill:  The stretch and glide of the breaststroke is very important.  This drill promotes the stretch and glide of the breaststroke, and correct and streamlined body position.
 Typically, the swimmer is instructed that he/she has seven strokes to get to the other end.  The swimmer glides, pulls, kicks, and stretches no more than seven times for 1 length (25 yards).  Any number of strokes can be used, although seven is ideal for high school swimmers over 25 yards.  The stretch can not be over stressed.

2 - 1 Dolphin action:  This drill is a timing drill meant to promote the dolphin action in the breaststroke.  The swimmer strokes with the arms normally, but with the kick, the swimmer does two strokes with a dolphin kick and then one stroke with a breaststroke kick, and then repeats.  This drill promotes the correct dolphin action for the breaststroke.

Heads Up - Flutter kick with fins:  This drill is done with fins or zoomers on the feet.  The swimmers do a breaststroke arm actions with a flutter  or freestyle kick.  This drill will promote the proper shoulder lift and forward roll and will develop stronger legs.  The swimmer is forced to stretch and think about what his/her arms have to do.  The head is held out of the water throughout the drill.

Flipper dolphin kick:  This drill is also done with fins or zoomers.  The swimmers perform a breaststroke armpull with a butterfly dolphin kick.  This will promote correct body position, correct stretching and streamlining, and a natural  kick and not a forced kick.

Two pulls out:  If swimmers have trouble staying down under water off the starts and turns for one pull and one kick, the two pulls out drill is a good drill to use.  The swimmers do two pulls and two kicks out of the turns and starts.  It should be explained to the novice swimmer that this is only a drill and can not be done during a race.
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BACKSTROKE SWIMMING

     Through various advancements in recent years, the backstroke has made great strides in speed and mechanics.  World class backstrokers have recently not only equaled butterfly times, but also surpassed them!  Underwater kicking, forward turns, and stand up starts have in some cases reduced the actual amount of swimming backstroke to as little as 50 to 60 yards over the course of a 100 yard race.  For that reason, it is particularly important to pay attention to details such as streamlining, wall exits, and turn speed.
     While this section is concerned with the stroke itself, strong backstrokers will not hesitate to spend additional time on streamiling drills, turn speed drills, and underwater kicking drills, both flutter and dolphin style.
     To begin the stroke, the backstroker should exit the walls, be it from the start of turn with both arms extended overhead in the streamlined position.  Once the stroke has begun, the entry of the arm is made with the hand extended to full arm length above the head with the elbows straight , the little fingers entering first and the palms facing outward.  This way, the swimmer will be able to roll to the side easier and the arms and hands will enter the water with a minimum or resistance.  Common mistakes on the entry is that swimmers will enter the water with arm over reaching beyond the center line of their body, under reaching, whereby the swimmer does not get the hand extended above the shoulder, and smashing their hand into the water.  Smashing or slapping the hands on the water increase resistance and thus slows the swimmer down.
     The swimmer should be rotating about the waist so that at the point of entry, the stroking shoulder is driving down and the recovering shoulder is rising out of the water.  The swimmers head should be very still and breaking the water at or just below the very top of the head.  It is imperative that the head be held completely still during the stroke and that there is no side to side movement by the head.  The entire stroke should rotate around the head.
     After your hand has entered the water, the next phase is the catch.  During the catch, you hand will travel forward, downward, and outward while you palm is rotated to a downward pitch.  When you have rotated your hand far enough, the force you exert on the palm of your hand will cause your elbow to flex and the propulsive phase of the arm stroke will begin.  If you do not rotate your hand correctly, you body will begin to “bounce” in the water.  This will cause undue resistance and will slow your forward motion.  A common error for the swimmer during the catch is to drop the elbows.  This is caused because the swimmer is not forcing the palm downward and outward.
     The next phase is the down sweep.  Your hand should be pitched downward, outward, and backward.  Some swimmers will actually cup their hand very slightly to increase the “airfoil” effect during the backstroke.  The down sweep of the backstroke should gain in speed throughout the motion.  As speed of the arms increase, the forward motion and momentum of the swimmer will also increase, if the hands are pitched correctly.
     The next phase is the up sweep.  This is a short phase of the stroke and is more of a transition phase than an actual propulsion phase.  During this phase, the swimmers hand pitches the palms slightly up and moves upward as the swimmer’s body begins to rotate back in the opposite direction.
     The final down sweep  is completed by pushing the hands past the thigh.  This force has many scientific explanations for pushing the swimmer forward, but basically, the swimmer will move faster the the more force that is exerted on the back of the stroke.  With a good force, the hands will bounce into the recovery.
     Once you have completed the final down sweep, the palms of your hands should be rotated inward so that you exit the water with your thumbs up.  The arms are recovered straight up and over the head with a high, straight, elbow.  The shoulders should be high on recovery to insure that there is no drag by having the shoulder low in the water.  Some of the most common errors in the backstroke recovery is not rotating the elbows backward, recovering low and to the outside, and not initiating the recovery by lifting the shoulder first.  Remember to lift the shoulder first as you begin your recovery.
     Keep your kicks quick and narrow.  There should be six kicks per arm cycle.  Dolphin kicks should be used coming off the walls, if the swimmer has an efficient dolphin kick.  Swimmers should look to improve their dolphin kicks as they have been proven to be much faster kicks than flutter kicks coming off the walls.
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Backstroke Drills

Arm Stroke Drills:

Hesitation:  This drill is done by swimming backstroke normally, but each arm stroke recovery has two hesitations or stops within the stroke.  As the arm recovers overhead, it stops in the straight up position.  The swimmer should look at the hand to be sure that the pinkie finger is correctly lined up for the entry.  Once this is accomplished, the stroke continues.  The stroke stops just before the hand enters the water.  The position of the hand and fingers is noted again by the swimmer, and the stroke continues with the same hesitations for the other arm.
     This drill promotes the correct position of the hands and it also promotes strong kicks from the hesitation in the arm stroke.  It should be used where swimmers have weak kicks and/or where swimmers have incorrect arm strokes.

Elbow Rotation:  This drill is a variation of the hesitation drill.  The hand stalls only once.  The swimmers strokes normally, but when the hand is recovering and is directly overhead, it stalls.  The wrist is held still, but the elbow rotates to the back and again to the front to make the palms of the hands rotate from one side to the other.  It is very important that the swimmer rotates from the elbow and not from the wrist.  By rotating the elbow, the swimmer will naturally raise the shoulder out of the water.  Rotating the wrist will not cause the same effect.  Once the palm of the hand is rotated out     because of the elbow rotating back, the stroke continues.
     This drill creates an awareness by the swimmer of where the hand is and in what position the hand is being held.    It also develops body balance and promotes a strong and steady kick.

Flipper swims:  This drill is a combination arm and leg drill.  By using flippers and kicking forcibly, the legs become stronger.  The arms are intended to stroke cleanly (not thrashing about) and strong.  Emphasis should be placed on the correct mechanics of the stroke.
     This drill is intended to have the swimmers feel what it is like to go fast.  Done in sets of 100’s, 75’s, and 50’s, they can prove to be some real ego builders!

Double Arm Stroke:  This drill is done with or without fins.  The swimmers will swim a normal backstroke, except that both arms will recover and stroke at the same time.  Emphasis should be placed on the push phase of the stroke.  The swimmer should feel a definite thrust forward as he/she finishes the push phase.  As the arms recover overhead, the swimmer will have to kick harder to stay up and on top of the water.
     This drill will help to correct arm entry and recovery problems such as bent arm recoveries, over-reaching, under-reaching, and deep pulls.
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Kicking Drills

Land Kicking:  Sit with your legs fully extended in front of you, toes pointed, and back straight.  Support yourself by placing your hands on the ground next to your hips.
     Raise your legs eight to twelve inches off the ground, keeping your legs straight and toes pointed.  You will lean back slightly, but keep your back straight.  Slowly begin to flutter kick in the air, keeping straight knees and pointed toes.  Keep the kick “tight,” meaning that your legs shouldn’t travel more than eight to ten inches.
     This drill will help you see that the kick is generated at the thigh, not the knee.  As you begin to get better, gradually add some knee bend, but still kick from the thigh with pointed toes.  Remember that the knee bends only to allow your legs to feel relaxed and not stiff.

Land Kicking Variation:  For more advanced swimmers, repeat the above drill with the hands on the hips.

Two Hands Up Kicking:  This drill is done by interlocking the hands together with the palms facing each other and they raising them above the head with straight elbows.  The swimmer then kicks on his/her back.  The swimmers head should rest comfortably in the upper-arms.  The kick should be steady and constant.  The toes should just break the surface and should go no deeper than ten inches and the knees should not  break the surface.
     This drill will promote stronger kicking, correct body position, and streamlining.

Underwater Kicks:  One of the best drills used to develop a streamlined kick is to kick very short distances underwater.  Both arms are extended overhead - one hand in the palm of the other.  Control your air supply by exhaling in a controlled manner throughout the length of the kick.  Kicking can be done timed or un-timed.
     The underwater kick drill develops proper body position and streamlining quickly.  If the swimmer goes too deep or surfaces too quickly, he/she will learn to adjust the body position to correct this problem.  The underwater kick drill also allows the swimmer to develop “feel” for the water or the legs and feet much quicker than kicking only on the surface.  When the swimmer kicks underwater, he/she will remove air bubbles and increases the body surface that is reacting directly to the “feel” of the water.
     The kicking underwater drill can be done for longer distances, but should be done with fins.

Dolphin Underwaters:  These are done the same as regular underwater kicks, except that they are done with a dolphin kick.  Many swimmers have found that dolphin kicking off the start or turns greatly increases their speed and momentum from the  wall.

Flipper Kick-Outs:  The drill is a combination of the two above drills and is done from a wall.  The swimmer does this drill with fins on the feet.  The swimmer goes underwater, and kicks as they would during a race (dolphin kickers kicking dolphin kick and flutter kickers kicking flutter).  The swimmer should “explode” to the surface, take two or three kicks on the surface and then relax and swim easy to the next wall.  The drill is then repeated.

Two Hand Straight Up:  This drill is done with the hands held straight up from the shoulders and with fins on or off.  The hands are held up to weight down the  the shoulders and to create a harder and stronger kick.  If the kick is not strong, steady, and constant, the swimmer will sink.  This drill develops strong legs and good kicking technique.  More inexperienced swimmers might want to start with their hands at less than vertical, or with fins.

Spoon Drill:  In this drill, the swimmer starts by crossing their hands and interlocking the fingers palm to palm.  The arms and hands are held straight down and close to the body.  This will cause the shoulders to be rounded (like  spoon) and the swimmer will kick the length of the pool, rocking from side to side,  The swimmers should roll from one side to the other about every 3 to 6 kicks.

One Arm Up, One Arm Swim:  This is a variation of the two arm straight up drill.  This drill can be done with or without fins.  The swimmer would swim with the right arm up and the left arm stroking for one length and then switch to the left arm up and the right arm stroking for  one length.  If the swimmer does the drill with fins, the arm should be held straight up.  If the swimmer does the drill without fins, the arm should be held at approximately a 45 degree angle, working towards vertically.
     This drill will promote a good high shoulder recovery, a deep pull, and strong and proper balance with a strong kick.

1/4 Raisers:  This is a variation of the one arm up, one arm swim drill.  With this drill, the swimmer will stroke with the right arm, but when the left arm begins its recovery cycle, it comes only 1/4 of the way out of the water and then drops back into the water as the right arm continues to stroke.  The drill continues for one length and then the stroking arms are switched for the next  length.
     This drill will promote a strong kick and also stroke balance.  Arm stroke efficiency will also be increased.

1/2 Raisers:  1/2 raisers are done exactly the same way as 1/4 raisers, except that the arm is raised 1/2 way out of the water (to straight up position) and then return to the water next to the thigh.  This drill will benefit the same areas as 1/4 raisers, but it is a more difficult drill to perform.

Six Beat Switch:  The six beat switch drill is the last of the primary kicking drills.  The swimmer holds the head straight and still during the drill.  The swimmer rolls slightly to the right  (about 45 degrees) with the right arm stretched overhead.  The head is straight, and the eyes are looking at about a 60 degree angle to the water.  The left shoulder is out of the water and the left arm is held straight at the side.
     After six kicks, the right arm pulls through the bottom of the stroke and stops when the hand reaches the bottom of the stroke and stops when the hand reaches the hips.  Meanwhile, the left hand and arm have recovered and the swimmer has rolled to the left side.  The right shoulder should now be out of the water.  After six kicks, the cycle is repeated.
     The swimmer should take care not to “over kick,” but his/her kicks should be eight to ten inches.  This drill promotes correct head position, body position, and  kicking.
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Balance and Position Drills

Dixie Cup Drill:  This drill is done by swimming backstroke normally with a half filled dixie cup on the forehead.  Any weighted object  will work.  The swimmer should try to swim the entire length without the weight falling off of the forehead.  The swimmer will start off swimming slowly at first, but will swim quicker as he/she becomes more proficient at the drill.
 The drill will greatly increase the balance of the stroke and should be sued on swimmers who have an excessive roll or rock to their stroke.

Chin Touchers:  This is a variation on the dixie cup drill.  When the swimmer brings his/her recovering arm out of the water, the swimmer should keep their head straight, but roll their shoulder over far enough to touch their chin with their shoulder.  The stroke should be done slower than normal speed to assure proper technique.
 It is important to stress the fact that the swimmer keep their head perfectly still.
 This drill is used for backstrokers who have little or no body roll.  It is also effective for swimmers who have a flat, wide recovery with the backstroke.

Spin Drill:  This drill is done by starting in a sitting position and the arms are spun as fast as can be done.  The momentum of the arm swing will create straight arms.  The swimmer will gradually slow down the arm swing at the same time leaning back into the water to begin swimming.  The drill is finished by laying back in the correct swimming position for backstroke and continue to the end of the length with good mechanics.
 It should be stressed that the head is to remain perfectly still during the entire drill.
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