As we all know practising technique is crucial for efficient swimming. If you’re wasting energy by swimming incorrectly, the chances are you’re loosing speed. Drill work, focusing on specific elements of your stroke for short periods of your time, pays dividends by boosting performance and giving you something to think about as you swim. Aim to practice all three drills in rotation, switching drill every 50m or two lengths. Rest when you need to, but no more than 45 secs.

High Elbow Drill
Some swimmers make the mistake of allowing their whole arm to rotate fully in a ‘windmill’ motion. Another mistake is to bend the elbow but let your arms go too wide. To avoid this try swimming with an ‘exaggerated’ high elbow position, when your arm is above and under the water. As you swim keep your elbows bent, imagine you are lifting your arm out of your pocket with each recovery and aim to enter the water with your hand in line with your shoulder. Ensure your hands are always lower than your elbows in the water.

Catch-Up
The best swimmers tend to take less strokes per length than most of us. This drill encourages you to ‘glide’ for as long as possible with each stroke and although you wouldn’t do it in a race, helps develop longer strokes.
As you swim keep your non-stroking arm out in front (in a superman position) until the other arm completes a full stroke cycle. Glide before you start the next stroke. You should touch hands each time. Be sure to pull under the centre line of your body and all the way past your hips so your thumb brushes past your thigh as it recovers out of the water.

Bilateral Breathing
Most swimmers (like me) are stronger on one side than the other and prefer to breathe on that side, with the result being that the stroke can become unbalanced. In a race chose a breathing pattern that feels natural, but practice breathing on both sides in training to discipline yourself and balance your stroke.
Breathe every three or five strokes so you are breathing on alternate sides. I found it un-natural at first, but it does become much easier. Now even when I’m racing I’m able to breathe bilaterally. Finally make sure you breathe out while your face is under the water and breathe in when you turn your head.

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