Hand-Lead Side Balance Drill
The Hand-Lead Side Balance drill is another drill that will teach swimmers how to keep their balance while they swim on one side with one arm extended overhead.
- Go to the shallow area of the swimming pool.
- Lie on your back.
- Push yourself off from the ground.
- Do a flutter kick and set yourself into a horizontal position with both of your arms resting on the sides.
- When you feel like you have already balanced yourself, roll yourself to one side and then balance yourself again.
- Once you have become comfortable doing the flutter kick in the side position, take one of your arms and extend overhead.
- When one arm has been extended, the palm should face the side of the wall or the ground.
- Get yourself balanced in the new position.
- Maintain the position for the rest of the length.
- Switch sides to do a new pool length.
You can experiment with the depth of the arm in the water until you are able to find an ideal position. For some swimmers, a 45-degree angle is more ideal while others find it ideal with the arm nearly parallel to the water surface. While doing the drill, you should notice that keeping your legs and hips in this position is easier.
You should also notice that slipping through the water is better and fewer kicks are needed to be able to swim at the same speed compared to the head-lead side balance drill.