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Swimming drills for beginner?
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 2016-05-04 9:56 AM |
 50  Munich, Bayern |  Subject: Swimming drills for beginner?I started swimming at the beginning of the year. I did know how to swim already, but my technique was so bad that we can call it pretty much non existent. I swim twice a week with coaches and I would like to start a swim block next week (for two weeks maybe) where I swim as often as possible (4-6 times a week). Could you give me some ideas for basic swimming drills? Right now I usually swim for 50 mins and I do an overall distance of 800m-1k, mostly freestyle one arm, freeytyle legs with board, freestyle arms with board, freestyle with "long catch", freestyle, back swim, backswim with and without legs and arms, and finally some breaststroke (my legs don't propel me forward a lot, so I have to practice it only with the basic form). I usually do some breathing techniques too (like sitting down in the pool, laying down, laying " up" etc.). I also bought a wetsuit and I am planning to experiment with it in a nearby lake in a month or two. Could you give me some basic drills to practice? I am not looking for 200 warmup/400 hard etc. But for simple drills to practice swimming, being in the water, work on basic technique and form etc. Any ideas, comments and suggestions welcome. Edited by Lighttower 2016-05-04 10:08 AM |
| 2016-05-04 10:24 AM in reply to: Lighttower |
Champion 7036  Sarasota, FL | Subject: RE: Swimming drills for beginner? My "go to" list of freestyle drills: One-arm One-arm w / kickboard Catch-up Sculling Tarzan Zipper Kick w / kickboard (I like to use a snorkel so I can maintain a better body position) Kick w/o kickboard in streamline My warm-up is usually something like 200 swim / 200 kick / 200 drill. Mark
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| 2016-05-04 10:27 AM in reply to: Lighttower |
409 Durham, North Carolina | Subject: RE: Swimming drills for beginner? http://www.totalimmersion.net/store/essential-skills-mp4-download.h... I tried using that DVD when I started. It was a HUGE help, but nowhere near as good as a TI coach which I ended up using eventually. The coach was the best "non-essential" money I've ever spent for triathlons IMO. That link has a list of drills, and I'm sure you could youtube most if not all of them. The program in the DVD was very helpful though and I recommend it if you want to be self taught. The problem with just doing random youtube videos is that you'll get different forms/methods mixed together so it might not be as efficient. It should still work though. |
| 2016-05-04 10:54 AM in reply to: Lighttower |
1300 | Subject: RE: Swimming drills for beginner? I'm going to suggest against what you are asking for. Start doing some sets of 50's, 100's or 200's. If you are in the pool for 50 mins a session and are only getting 800 - 1000M's in you need to start adding some swimming. Not just drills. Drills are great and an effective way of improving your stroke and such. But you also need to swim for them to be effective. A 4-6 swim / wk block is great, good luck with it!
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| 2016-05-04 4:45 PM in reply to: Goggles Pizzano |
| 50 Munich, Bayern | Subject: RE: Swimming drills for beginner? Originally posted by Goggles Pizzano I'm going to suggest against what you are asking for. Start doing some sets of 50's, 100's or 200's. If you are in the pool for 50 mins a session and are only getting 800 - 1000M's in you need to start adding some swimming. Not just drills. Drills are great and an effective way of improving your stroke and such. But you also need to swim for them to be effective. A 4-6 swim / wk block is great, good luck with it!
Thank you for the tips everyone! It as really helpfull, especially because I was thinking the same thing. I have to Google the drill names (tarzan and such) but that sounds great! Exactly what I was looking for, thank you! |
| 2016-05-04 10:31 PM in reply to: 0 |
Coach 9167 Stairway to Seven | Subject: RE: Swimming drills for beginner? Originally posted by Lupy http://www.totalimmersion.net/store/essential-skills-mp4-download.h... I tried using that DVD when I started. It was a HUGE help, but nowhere near as good as a TI coach which I ended up using eventually. The coach was the best "non-essential" money I've ever spent for triathlons IMO. That link has a list of drills, and I'm sure you could youtube most if not all of them. The program in the DVD was very helpful though and I recommend it if you want to be self taught. The problem with just doing random youtube videos is that you'll get different forms/methods mixed together so it might not be as efficient. It should still work though. I second this. But you will not find the value in googling the list of drills versus seeing, hearing & reading all the hows & whys from Terry as they are demonstrated. For $49, it's a drop on the bucket for a triathlete. If the book saves you an hour of learning on your own (and it may in fact save you dozens or scores of hours from self-coaching) then it's paid for itself many times over. however I would also recommend AGAINST going to the pool and doing a bunch of drills even if the list is good. THe purpose of a drill is not to cover an arbirtary amount of time or distance (eg. 6 x 50 drill, with the drill list being A, B, C repeat drills). Rather the purpose of a drill is to help identify a specific movement, feeling, sensation or combination of those in the water that is a part of your full stroke swimming. So first you have to know what skill you're trying to improve. Then you have to choose a drill that will give you maximum awareness of your biggest opportunities. Practice the drill to heighten awareness, then try a few strokes and see if that heightened awareness teaches you something about your stroke. If you maintain awareness & are able to stroke while performing the newer skill, then do lots of short repeats of swimming (not drilling) to continue imprinting that skill. If at anytime that skill regresses and you are aware of it (because you're doing short repeats that are non-taxing, or you've done longer or faster repeats, and at some point become aware that you've regressed) then go back to the high value drill until the awareness and correct sensations return...then try swimming again. Drills and the associated skills are like mix and match outfits for kids. Pick any two pieces tthat have matchign animal tags and they will be a coordinated outfit (garanimals...anyone remember them? ) With drills pick a drill, pick a skill and perform that skill doing that drill. One skill may be able to be carried through a whole series of drills Example: Problem: head high & hips low causing drag. Cause: head lifted due to neck tension & wanting to look forward Skill to practice: relaxing the neck High value drill: Superman glide/superman float with legs supported. Activity: After the above drill, pushoff in glide them swim 3-5 strokes and stop. Assessment: How did you do? If the skill didn't stick, go back to the drill. If it did stick, repeat the activity. Progress the activity as long as you are having success. Go back to the last activity if you become aware of regression. you can then take this same skill and do more advanced drills with it. EG: problem: you can maintain a relaxed neutral head when doing superman glide, and easy swimming for a few lgneths. but when you get tired you sense your head lifting and you start to sink. Cause: Fatigue and/or repeated dynamic swim movements allow the old habit to return Skill to practice: relaxing the neck in a more dynamic swim posture High value drill: Skate/ Arm Lead STreamline/ One-arm kicking/STatue of liberty (different names for similar versions of the same drill) WHILE maintaining that same easy relaxed head position as in superman. Do this from a pushoff, and with a gentle kcik Activity: If the drill is going well, pushoff into arm lead streamline/ skate, and take 3-5 strokes focusing on relaxed neck in each arm lead position. Assessment: How did you do? If the skill didn't stick, go back to the drill. If it did stick, repeat the activity. Progress the activity as long as you are having success. Go back to the last activity if you become aware of regression. A good coach or masters class can help you with all of the above, but the video series recommended above is a great self-coaching resource to help. The link in my sig for the 99 swim practices can help with the systematic approach I wrote about above in the context of swim sets from 500 yds to 3k +. Edited by AdventureBear 2016-05-04 10:36 PM |
| 2016-05-05 7:22 AM in reply to: 0 |
Official BT Coach 18500 Indianapolis, Indiana Gold member | Subject: RE: Swimming drills for beginner? Originally posted by Lighttower I started swimming at the beginning of the year. I did know how to swim already, but my technique was so bad that we can call it pretty much non existent. I swim twice a week with coaches and I would like to start a swim block next week (for two weeks maybe) where I swim as often as possible (4-6 times a week). Could you give me some ideas for basic swimming drills? Right now I usually swim for 50 mins and I do an overall distance of 800m-1k, mostly freestyle one arm, freeytyle legs with board, freestyle arms with board, freestyle with "long catch", freestyle, back swim, backswim with and without legs and arms, and finally some breaststroke (my legs don't propel me forward a lot, so I have to practice it only with the basic form). I usually do some breathing techniques too (like sitting down in the pool, laying down, laying " up" etc.). I also bought a wetsuit and I am planning to experiment with it in a nearby lake in a month or two. Could you give me some basic drills to practice? I am not looking for 200 warmup/400 hard etc. But for simple drills to practice swimming, being in the water, work on basic technique and form etc. Any ideas, comments and suggestions welcome. Hey Mark, I admittedly haven't read all of the comments yet and I won't be surprised if what I am about to say is somewhat contrarian to the general opinions and suggestions. In my opinion, triathlete's in general do FAR too many drills. Yes, swimming is highly technical and you must do it right if you want to become faster. However, technique and fitness are two sides of the same coin. You can't have good technique if you don't have good fitness and you can't have good fitness if you don't have good technique. Allow me a moment to explain that. If I could do a "Spock-mind-meld" and instantly impart so-called PERFECT technique into your mind/body, it would do you absolutely no good as you wouldn't have the strength and fitness to take advantage of it. Conversely, if you woke up tomorrow and magically had Michael Phelp's swim strength and fitness, it would do you no good when you got to the pool because you wouldn't have the technique to utilize the strength and fitness. Technique and fitness must be developed together. You need to develop proper technique while building swim fitness based upon proper technique. That is difficult and challenging to do and it means you have to swim - a LOT! Next, you shouldn't be doing drills unless a QUALIFIED coach/instructor has recommended the drill for a specific and identifiable technique issue that the prescribed drill will directly address. To do a list of drills because some fellow athletes recommended them is a waste of your time. That isn't to say you won't get some drill recommendations that might be applicable to your stroke technique. The problem is, you have no way of knowing which drills might help and which might be a waste of your time. The absolute BEST thing you can do is have eyes on deck in the form of a qualified coach. You mention, "I swim twice a week with coaches . . ." They should be helping you with your technique. If they are not, you need a different coach - PERIOD, end of discussion - if your coach isn't helping you, get a different coach. There is NO SUBSTITUTE for a good coach on deck. If a coach on deck isn't an option, then the next best is video analysis by a qualified coach/instructor. That method will yield results, however it will be much more slowly. Also, the video method will likely involve multiple videos if you truly want to achieve "proper" technique so it can become very time consuming and somewhat costly. There are various resources available on-line - YouTube videos, text descriptions of proper technique, various instructional videos/packages, etc. All of those can be helpful, however, while you are following the "self-taught" path, you have no way of knowing if you are "doing-it-right." A problem you will encounter doing a list of suggested drills. As a newer swimmer, you don't know if what you are doing is correct or not - which takes you back to having eyes on deck. My best suggestion to you is a) begin by learning the fundamentals - learn to float, learn to kick, learn to breathe, get comfortable in an aquatic environment, b) get a qualified coach/instructor that will work with you; one-on-one if possible, c) swim, and then swim some more; then, when you think you have swam enough, swim some more, and d) don't waste your time on drills unless a qualified coach has prescribed the drill for a specific and identifiable technique issue that the prescribed drill will help to correct. Just my two-cents. Good luck! Edited by k9car363 2016-05-05 7:24 AM |
| 2016-05-06 2:17 AM in reply to: k9car363 |
| 50 Munich, Bayern | Subject: RE: Swimming drills for beginner? Originally posted by k9car363 My best suggestion to you is a) begin by learning the fundamentals - learn to float, learn to kick, learn to breathe, get comfortable in an aquatic environment, b) get a qualified coach/instructor that will work with you; one-on-one if possible, c) swim, and then swim some more; then, when you think you have swam enough, swim some more, and d) don't waste your time on drills unless a qualified coach has prescribed the drill for a specific and identifiable technique issue that the prescribed drill will help to correct. Just my two-cents. Good luck! Thank you for your reply! This sounds very logical! |
| 2016-05-06 2:28 AM in reply to: AdventureBear |
| 50 Munich, Bayern | Subject: RE: Swimming drills for beginner? Originally posted by AdventureBear Thank you! I thought this would be the case, but obviously I haven't got the knowledge to determine how this all works together. Drills and the associated skills are like mix and match outfits for kids. Pick any two pieces tthat have matchign animal tags and they will be a coordinated outfit (garanimals...anyone remember them? ) With drills pick a drill, pick a skill and perform that skill doing that drill. One skill may be able to be carried through a whole series of drills The link in my sig for the 99 swim practices can help with the systematic approach I wrote about above in the context of swim sets from 500 yds to 3k +. Your book looks interesting, especially the part of: "Can you help me swim more than one lap without feeling exhausted?" :D |
| 2016-05-06 8:11 AM in reply to: Lighttower |
| 409 Durham, North Carolina | Subject: RE: Swimming drills for beginner? Originally posted by Lighttower Originally posted by k9car363 My best suggestion to you is a) begin by learning the fundamentals - learn to float, learn to kick, learn to breathe, get comfortable in an aquatic environment, b) get a qualified coach/instructor that will work with you; one-on-one if possible, c) swim, and then swim some more; then, when you think you have swam enough, swim some more, and d) don't waste your time on drills unless a qualified coach has prescribed the drill for a specific and identifiable technique issue that the prescribed drill will help to correct. Just my two-cents. Good luck! Thank you for your reply! This sounds very logical! The DVD I linked covers this, and you can go at your own pace. With unlimited money its best to have a 1 on 1 coach teach you this stuff. I preferred to learn the basics first, and then have the coach top me off. That formula worked for me but YMMV. |
| 2016-05-06 9:46 AM in reply to: #5180242 |
Coach 9167 Stairway to Seven | Subject: RE: Swimming drills for beginner? Lupy is absolutely right. Learning by video instruction employs mirror neurons in the brain: http://www.brainfacts.org/brain-basics/neuroanatomy/articles/2008/m... What they won't give you is not so much if you're doing it right, but what your highest value opportunity is. Immediate feedback via a coach or self video (or a friend with a camera) is also a supercharged way of learning. |
| 2016-05-06 3:44 PM in reply to: #5180519 |
| 631 | Subject: RE: Swimming drills for beginner? I am confused if you are swimming with a coach 2x per week why are you asking us? |
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