Lecture Notes on Swimming Drills and Techniques

Introduction

• Discussion about different swimming drills and techniques.
• Importance of drills in improving swimming performance.

Butterfly and Breathing Techniques

• Use of head-up breathing in butterfly.
  • More challenging than typical breathing methods.

Backstroke Drills

• Drill Sequence: 2 right arm, 2 left arm, 2 full strokes.
• Emphasis on one-arm backstroke.
  • Observations: One-arm backstroke can be faster than two-arm.

Spin Drill

• Description:
  • Rotate arms rapidly without using legs.
  • Visual effect can appear unusual but is enjoyable.
• Goals of the Spin Drill:
  • Improve arm speed and rotation in backstroke.
  • Counter misconception that backstroke is a lazy stroke; it is intense during races.

Breaststroke Techniques

• Sprinting breaststroke as a training method.
  • Focused practice on fast swimming rather than long distances.
  • Result: Improved speed and dominance in breaststroke.
• Favorite Drill: Breaststroke pull with butterfly kick.

Freestyle Drills

• Common Drills:
  • Catch-up drill: Hesitate at the front of each stroke.
  • Fingertip drag drill: Focus on proper technique.
• Importance of technique during the season:
  • Initial months focus primarily on strokes and drills.
  • Develop good technique to make it natural later in training.

Freestyle Windmill Stroke

• Adoption of windmill stroke from sprinters for finishing races.
• Not suitable for distance swimmers due to endurance limits.
• Implementation:
  • Last stroke taken approximately 12 meters from the finish.
  • Transition from normal stroke to windmill technique.

Turns and Transitions

• Key Concept: Avoid resting on the wall during turns.
  • Quick entry and exit from the wall is essential.
  • Breathing should be done in the middle of the pool, not at the wall.
• Butterfly to Backstroke Turn:
  • Keep head down and drive knees into a tuck position.
  • Facilitates faster rotation for the next stroke.