Freestyle drills. 5 drills to improve your swimming

Easy Freestyle Drills

Here are some great examples of how freestyle drills can help you improve your swimming. Practicing these freestyle drills will help with your body alignment, high elbow position, your catch and stroke length.

The Long dog freestyle drill

This drill is awesome for getting a feel for the water. Just as it sounds the long dog drill is a long version of the dog paddle. Keeping your head

Correct

above water you swim down the pool with your arms recovering under the water. Make sure you stretch out in front of you. Each time you start your pull be sure to tilt your wrist a little as you pull the water back towards you. Plus don’t forget to pull all the way past your hips and get full extension on the back end of your stroke.

The Slide and glide freestyle drill

This is a great drill to follow long dog as you get to practice your catch in this drill too. As you swim down the pull focus sliding your hand into the water about 30° (thumb side down). Be sure to fingertips first as your hand lands about ½ between your head and your arm fully extended. Now once your hand hits the water, slide it out as far as you can. Try to keep it about 2 to 3 cm under the surface of the water. Let your hand sit there until you feel you other arm get you about ¾ through the recovery of your stroke then pull.

The Zipper (or Chicken wing Drill) freestyle drill

I really like this drill because it promotes a high elbow position in the

Correct

recovery phase of your stroke. As the name suggests the zipper drill means that in the recovery phase of your stroke you run your fingers as far up the side of your body as possible as if you’re doing up a zipper or making a

Incorrect

chicken wing with your thumb under your armpit. Then you continue your hand entry as per normal thought to the extension of your stroke.

The Tennis ball freestyle drill

A great drill for getting a feel for the water too. The tennis ball drill is pretty easy to do. All you do it grab a tennis ball in each hand and swim. Yup, that’s it. The whole point of this drill is to get you to understand that you pull with your forearm as well as your hand. This Freestyle drill will also desensitizes your hand from the water. Plus when you swim without the tennis balls you will notice how much better you catch and pull will be.

The Pipe freestyle drill

This Freestyle drill is great for getting your alignment. For this drill you will need a piece of PVC pipe or timber dowel, you could even turn a kick board sideways. Now do a lap the pool freestyle, holding the pipe in one hand. When your other hand recovers and comes through the stroke you then reach out and grab the other end of the pipe. Then opposite hand does its stroke and grabs the opposite end of the pipe. This gets your hands to enter in the right place. The result is that you’re not crossing over the center line of your body with your hands. You are also not screwing up your body alignment.

So there you have it, if you want to improve your freestyle why not give these drills a go.