In order to become a faster, more efficient swimmer, triathletes must train two aspects: fitness and skill. Fitness improves by spending an appropriate, accumulated amount of time working the various training zones to achieve the desired training adaptation, i.e. swim faster. Thus, many endurance athletes believe that spending endless hours pounding out lap after lap in the pool is the only solution. It is certainly one piece of the puzzle.
However, in all types of training, but especially swimming, the concept of economy needs to be addressed. Economy simply means how efficiently the body uses oxygen during exercise. How well a multi-sport athlete picks her/his parents plays a role, but skill development is essential. Because the medium of water is so dense, compared to air, a triathlete must work harder to propel her/himself along.
Streamlining the body, i.e. learning a more hydrodynamic position, reduces drag forces allowing the swimmer to move through the water more efficiently. By combining improved fitness, both aerobically and anaerobically, with serious time spent on skill and body position improvement throughout the training phase, the athlete achieves the greatest speed during the swim.
Where do skill and body position drills fit in the workout? After a 10-minute warm-up, spend 10-20 minutes on drills - while the triathlete is still fresh - to enhance the development of new, more efficient movement patterns. One goal is to decrease the number of strokes per length of the pool, indicating more length per stroke. Count the number of strokes per length at various times throughout the training week (2-4 times per week) to look for improvement. Always alternate a skill drill with an easy swim to integrate the aspect of the drill into the whole stroke. Remember, the fastest, most accomplished swimmers in the world do drills everyday!
Here is a series of drills to improve technique. Start and end with a strong, relaxed 25 or 50, count strokes, record time, but it is not a sprint.
1) The “X” to the pencil: A balance and body position drill. Place 3-5 kickboards (start with 3, add more to increase challenge) between the ribs and hips, lay flat in the prone position in the water. The idea is to put the body in a dolphin-like, downhill streamlined position. A snorkel may be used to maintain position. Start with arms and legs in an “X” position, stretched long. Hips are in posterior pelvic tilt, head, shoulders and upper chest are pressed down toward the bottom of the pool. In very slow, controlled movements, move limbs lightly over the surface of the water into the pencil position – arms and legs parallel. The movement should take 5-10 seconds, hold and balance in pencil for another 5-10 seconds maintaining perfect, streamlined posture: head and shoulders pressed down, shoulders squeeze head and ears, arms and legs stretch long in opposite directions, back flat, pelvis in posterior tilt. Practice for 2-5 minutes.
2) Kick: Easy 50 incorporating this new, hydrodynamic body position, same as pencil, arms over head, fins may be used.
3) Kick on side: Lay on side in water, bottom arm straight and stretched out overhead, top arm pressed flat on top hip. Press head and shoulders down towards the bottom, head is submerged (simply lift head to breathe) top hip is on the surface. Repeat on other side.
4) Add hip rotation: Kick on side, switch sides at halfway point, generate rotation from hips and legs. 2x50.
5) Sidekick and rotate: Lie on side, after 6-10 kicks on side rotate with a long, strong arm pull to the other side for 6-10 kicks. Designed to facilitate bilateral rotation. 2x50.
6) Sidekick, rotate with 3 long strokes: Same as above, use 3 long strokes then rotate to opposite side, repeat. 2x50.
7) End test: repeat 25 swim as at beginning.
This series of drills will take longer at first, but spend the time on it, the effort will pay off. Take the time to develop the skills to slice through the water while expending the least amount of energy.
5 common swimming mistakes & drills
Swimmers generate propulsion by making sculling or sweeping (curved line path) movements with their hands. By changing the path of their hand during the propulsive movement, a smaller mass of water is moved as the hand searches for ‘still’ water. The use of the hand in a curved or elicitable sweeping movements allows the swimmer to use ‘lift’ forces to create propulsion and forward movement.
In order to produce effective propulsion we encourage you to try the following:
A good ‘catch’ point - This is where propulsion begins after the arm enters the water. It is important not to start the pulling action too fast but to press with the fingers and have a firm wrist. This allows the hand to feel for the pressure of the water.
High elbow position – The hand stays still, the elbow moves over the hand as the shoulder medially rotates allowing the swimmer to skull their hand laterally and vertically.
To use sweeps of the hand – lots of sculling drills to encourage holding the ‘pressure’ throughout the propulsive effort.
Acceleration – encourage swimmers to start each pull slowly, feel the pressure and then accelerate through the propulsive effort.
The main propulsive force of the frontcrawl is derived from the arms and is an alternating action with continuous movement, across 4 phases
Catch
The hand sculls outwards and downwards to the catch point. The hand resists the pressure of the water and the shoulder medially rotates to raise the elbow
(high elbow) the hand then continues to sweep outwards and downwards.
Insweep or Pull
The elbow increases in flexion and the pitch of the hand turns inwards. The hand sweeps inwards and acceleration of the hand increases.
Upsweep or Push
The hand pitch adjusts again to a backward and outward position. The fingers point down until the final stages as the hand sweeps up, out and back. Acceleration continues. When the hand passes the hips, the wrist rotates and releases the water. The hand is now in position for exit.
Sweeping Movement
When viewed from below, the hand should follow the ‘S’ shape pull pattern. The severity of the ‘S’ will depend on individual characteristics such as strength.
Recovery
This should be made with high elbows and no tension in the hands or arms. The fingers should point down and the hand should start to reach for entry once the arm passes the head.
