What is your fav drill at practice?

[orca1946]

HI I get the chance to run our team for 3 weeks & am looking for some new / fun drills to add to the workouts.
Do you have one that you really like?
Tell me about it so that I may use it.

Thanx to all the reply.

[Celestial]

My fav breaststroke drill is two "underwater" kicks w/one pull - and you have to wait for three seconds after the second kick before you pull, so your body becomes horizontal again.
My fav freestyle drill involves (surprise!!) short fins - you kick on your side (no board) for about 6 yards, then pull the lower arm through & rotate to the other side, repeat kicking & rolling. It's very fun, but also good to help people learn to rotate their shoulders.

[orca1946]

Thanx . Those seem to add something more fun to the workout.
I'll try to include them.

[KatieK]

I like the vertical kicking drill. Arms crossed over chest (for wimps) or hands out of the water, abs engaged, hips aligned with shoulders, legs straight. 15-60 seconds, then rest 30.

This one is great for leg and core strength. Plus, if you want to hear your team curse you, there's nothing better.

[Rykno]

I'm starting to like doing 2 or 3 underwater pull outs for 12x25 to get use to being under water. it's been helping me keep my underwater distance in races.

[Allen Stark]

1) Breaststroke 1,2,3 sec drill.Swim 100 BR,1st 25 glide 1 sec/stroke,2nd 25 glide 2sec/stroke,3rd 25 3 sec and last 25 regular BR.
2) 4(or 8 or whatever) 50s on the min(or what ever) descending by time and decrease 1 SPL every 2-3 50s.(I make the numbers vague because you'll want to fit this to their ability.)

[gobears]

I like this one a lot right now:

http://www.goswim.tv/entries/5484/fr...the-catch.html

[Slowswim]

My fav breaststroke drill is two "underwater" kicks w/one pull - and you have to wait for three seconds after the second kick before you pull, so your body becomes horizontal again.
My fav freestyle drill involves (surprise!!) short fins - you kick on your side (no board) for about 6 yards, then pull the lower arm through & rotate to the other side, repeat kicking & rolling. It's very fun, but also good to help people learn to rotate their shoulders.

I agree on both on these; except, my coach had me doing three Breast kicks for each pull. I have a very flast breast stroke and this make me go deeper with more of a wave.

[smontanaro]

I like this one a lot right now:

http://www.goswim.tv/entries/5484/fr...the-catch.html

Aside from placing particular emphasis on the actual catch, how is this any different than a normal catch-up drill? BTW, I find many people try rushing all these drills. Catch-up is so close to normal freestyle, especially for front-quadrant swimmers, that it's pretty easy to get caught up in going fast, not focusing on the specifics of the drill.

Skip

[gobears]

Aside from placing particular emphasis on the actual catch, how is this any different than a normal catch-up drill? BTW, I find many people try rushing all these drills. Catch-up is so close to normal freestyle, especially for front-quadrant swimmers, that it's pretty easy to get caught up in going fast, not focusing on the specifics of the drill.

Skip

It was helpful to me in two ways. One, the catch up drill I learned years ago had you in streamline position actually touching hands. I like the position 11 better as it doesn't promote crossing in front. I also like the emphasis on keeping the shoulder and elbow stable while bringing the forearm down slowly into a focused catch. I think it heightens awareness of elbow position. YMMV

[jswim]

I also like the double kick for every pull breaststroke drill.

For freestyle I like the finger drill: fist with forefinger pointing out for 25, pinky out/25, fist/25, and the last 25 normal freestyle, repeat 4x.

I also like butterfly each arm three strokes/regular fly for 3, etc.. just cause it's fun to do!

[knelson]

I like this one a lot right now:

http://www.goswim.tv/entries/5484/fr...the-catch.html

I think this would be a great drill to use a snorkel with.

[Debugger]

I don't have favorite one because drill it's a spot where you need to work to get better. Nevertheless I do some for breaststroke (need to think about other styles):
Breaststroke with freestyle kick
Breaststroke with dolphin kick
Breaststroke pull with buoy (perhaps the most exhausting )
1 pull + 2 kicks
2 pulls + 1 kick

[bcoomes]

I think this would be a great drill to use a snorkel with.

+1

I tried this drill today and after 50 yds, grabbed my snorkel. Without having to think about breathing, it was much easier to concentrate on the catch. This is definitely an area where I need work.

[bcoomes]

My favorite drill: as suggested by Ed Moses, breaststroke kick on my back. On the other hand, there are many other drills which a) I am terrible at and b) I really need to work on.

[philoswimmer]

Doing breaststroke with a little ball underneath my neck really helped me to figure out how to look down instead of up.

[smontanaro]

One, the catch up drill I learned years ago had you in streamline position actually touching hands. I like the position 11 better as it doesn't promote crossing in front.

I've done two things to combat the tendency to streamline while doing a catch-up drill. One, extend my thumbs and don't let then do more than graze their tips in the catch-up position. Second, I have a short piece of broomstick in my swim bag. If I grab both ends of the stick that puts me in the position 11 you referred to. Every stroke I grab the free end of the stick and initiate the next pull on the other side.

Skip

[gdanner]

pull on the laneline drill. definitely my favorite, but not much use to anyone.

[Karl_S]

Reading this thread made me recongnize that I actually much prefer to swim over doing drills... but to answer the OP: I have kinda enjoyed working on my catch with paddles this year. Also "swim golf" can be pretty fun; i.e. try to minimize the sum of your stroke count plus your time over a fixed distance.

[Paul Smith]

Fly drill = right arm, both arms, left arm, both arms, right arm, both.....repeat (breathing can be to the side on right or left arm or front on both).

Freestyle finger drill = 150's; first 25 fist, second index fingers added, 3rd add one more finger...till full hand on last 25

Backstroke drill...this one is very had to describe. Start on back, right hand in streamline position, left arm at side, initiate right arm pull (from hip) bringing hand all the way to 90 degrees then reverse direction (hand drops to water then moves underwater back to starting position in streamline over head, repeat for 25 the switch arms on return.

Breaststroke = 125's, 1st 25 right arm only, second left arm only, 3rd fists, 4th normal swim, 5th is breaststroke kick on back