Swimming can be the hardest aspect of triathlon to master, especially for late learners or those who come to it as adults.
Swim drills will help you become a more efficient and faster swimmer. These should be incorporated into every session – this can easily be done in your warm-up.
Remember all drills over-exaggerate a particular element of your stroke, but should help you feel each element better. Using fins really helps isolate the front of the stroke where most gains can be made.
Here are some of the most used drills in our sessions (click on the links to see videos)
| Single arm front crawl |
Aim: to improve entry, catch and pull by isolating each arm. |
| How to swim a one-arm drill | FORM |
- Push off in a streamlined position with both arms extended – swim 25M using just one arm, keeping the opposite arm extended.
- Reach forward, point the fingertips down, and pivot at the elbow as you take your stroke and pull back to your hip.
- Breathe to the stroke side.
- Advanced version: swim with the unused arm by your side to allow full rotation, focusing on a full single arm movement and breathing between strokes.
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| Fist drill |
Aim: to increase feel for the water and encourage high elbow recovery |
| Front Crawl Swimming Drills – Clenched Fist |
- Roll hand into a fist, to remove the surface area usually provided for your pull
- Swim freestyle as you normal
- While pulling you should be also using your forearms, and not just your hands! This added emphasis on the surface area of the forearm also pushes you towards a higher elbow recovery.
- Once you unclench your hands you will get a little jolt of power, your hands now feeling like over-sized swim paddles.
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| Side Kick / Superman Drill |
Aim: To learn good body position and balance in the water, lengthen your body position while staying streamlined |
| How to swim a Side-Kick Drill | FORM |
- Kick on your side with your lead arm outstretched, shoulder to your cheek.
- The non-lead arm should be resting on your hip, you should feel the back of your hand just above the surface of the water.
- Aim to keep your head still and your chin pointing down, rotating your head to breathe.
- Kicking exhale to the count of 3, breathe-in, kick ehaling to the count of 3.
- You should be looking down at the tiles, about 1M ahead.
- Kicking enough to elevate your trailing shoulder above the water’s surface, while ensuring that when outstretched, your lead arm is parallel to the bottom and below the surface.
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| 6-1-6 |
Aim: To learn good body position and balance in the water and get a feel for the correct rotation. |
| 6/1/6 Drill | TriDot Swim Drill Series |
- a variation of the Side Kick Drill. Start in the same way as the sidekick, after 6 kicks, take one stroke with the arm that was resting on your hip, this will put you onto the other side with the resting arm now leading, repeat.
- Try and breathe just after taking a stroke, kick on side count to 4 exhaling, stroke & inhale
- Lead the rotation with your hip.
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| 6-3-6 |
Aim: To learn good body position and balance in the water and get a feel for the correct rotation. |
| 6/3/6 Drill | TriDot Swim Drill Series |
- Another variation of the Side Kick.
- Kick on one side for 6 leg kicks, take 3 strokes, kick on opposite side for 6, repeat.
- Try and breathe while taking the strokes, kick on side count to 4 exhaling, stroke & inhale
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| Zipper or Finger Drag |
Aim: to learn a narrower, more efficient stroke with a high elbow recovery. |
| Beginner Swim Drill: Zipper Drill |
- Swim front crawl, but on the over water recovery, glide your fingertips close to the side of your body, while dragging them across the surface to maintain a high elbow. The shoulder of your lead arm should brush closely to the chin as it extends forward, achieving a nicely-rotated body position.
- As your hand passes your head and enters the water, feel the hand entering the water drive the body rotation. .
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| Catch-up |
Aim: To help you focus on maintaining a long body in the water, and keeping lead arm |
| Catch-Up Drill (Tap & Go) | TriDot Swim Drill Series |
- Swim front crawl keeping your non-stroking arm in front of you in its initial extended position.
- Wait until the stroking arm “catches up” with your extended arm before taking your next stroke. This effectively slows down your swimming, and allows you to focus on stroking with one arm at a time.
- Try not to leave a pause or dead spot in the stroke, rather aim for a ¾ catch-up while swimming at an aerobic base pace.
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| Sculling. |
Aim: To develop a “feel the water” and maintain the ideal hand and arm position to move through the water. |
| How To Scull: This Skill Will Change The Way You Swim! |
- With your arms out in front of you, bend your elbows.
- Make sure your elbow is above your hand and your fingertips tilt toward the bottom of the pool.
- Make ‘S’ or figure-eight motions with the hands and forearms in the water, keeping arms shoulder width apart.
- Use a pull buoy or slow kick, but don’t mimic a breaststroke pull.
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| Doggy paddle |
Aim: to develop the catch and pull through. |
| USMS Evolution Drill #3: Long Dog Paddle |
- Push and glide from the wall, with head out of the water, looking forward, head upright and still.
- Using one arm at a time, extend fully into the catch position, pull through to the chest, then recover the hand and arm back underwater.
- Rotate at the hips during each arm pull while performing a strong and steady flutter kick.
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Some things to remember:
- There is no single perfect stroke – we are different shapes, sizes, ages
- Don’t over think – try to feel
- Effort does not equal speed. Don’t chase speed – it will come with technique
- Kick supports but does not propel (much)
- Consistency is king – 3 or more swims p/w for improvement
- Pull boy or float shorts are not cheating – simulates wetsuit
- Take off watch – learn to understand feel and don’t worry about times
- Stay focused and specific – one thing at a time
- Make changes become a habit. Be patient