Head to Toe 50's Swim Drill
Lou Cookson, LTF Florham Park, NJ
10 x 50 with different focus on each 50 Instructions: This is a "mental" exercise where you do a silent check or mental note as you are swimming but with a very specific focus for each 50. While there are an almost unlimited number of items one could focus on and tweak while swimming (about as technical a sport as golf) here are some of the important ones to pay attention to in separate and in addition to drill work.
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- Swim Tall: Pay attention to getting your return stroking arm to as far above your head as you can, just to point where you still have room to flex your wrist and begin the pull aspect of the stroke. Feel tall! You want a long hull!
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Half a Goggle: Pay attention to how much of your goggle is out of the water on your breathing side. Try to make it just a half a goggle, that is, one eye, with other still below surface. I call it stealth breathing. It might require you to twist your mouth toward surface but do so without twisting your neck. You will find there is an ample air pocket that forms near your armpit as you stroke past your face.
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Exhale All Air: Pay attention to your exhale while face is underwater. Getting all the air out gives you more time to gulp air in when you do emerge.
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Turn Torso to Breath: This is the side fish-like position that we try to achieve in order to be more streamlined. It also encourages your head and face to stay connected to your neck and not get jerked upwards to breathe.
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Loosen Fingers; Cup Hands: Pay attention to whether your fingers are relaxed, loose and cupped. Tight, straight fingers do not enhance your propulsion in the water. In fact, loose fingers will act as if they were webbed!
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Engage the Obliques: See if you can focus your attention on your abdominal side as you are extending your arm to the top of your stroke. Engage those muscles to assist in propelling your arm over your head and you will glide your body forward in the water and save your rotator cuffs in the process!
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Butt Up, Buoy Down: Pay attention to whether you are getting your butt up (but not with a bend in your waist or your lower back) and your chest down in the downhill swimming mode of buoy drills.
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Rotate Hips: Pay attention to whether you are engaging your hips in the rotations of alternating strokes. If you've ever flipped a kayak or righted one on purpose, you know what I mean!
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Light Flutter Kick: Pay attention to the effort of your legs and feet. The swim leg of the triathlon should give your legs a break and the kick action is light, fluttering and just enough to keep your legs up and your buoy down. And don't count on wetsuits to do this for you! Many races are non-wetsuit legal.
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Heels to Surface: Pay attention to whether your heels are getting some air as opposed to dragging themselves down and you in the process.
To download this as a PDF, click HERE.
Lou Cookson is a LTE Coach based out of LTF in Florham Park, NJ with many years of coaching and racing experience. For more information about Lou, click HERE.
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