Freestyle Water Skills

Brent Hayden drills

Float Laying – free & back

While standing outside the water, put your hands on the outside of the lowest ribs. Fill your tummy and lower back with air. Keep your ribs “expanded” while you slowly exhale. Make sure to not let your ribs collapse the moment you begin exhaling. See how long they can remain expanded while you breath out.

Float Ball

Fill your tummy and lower back with air and curl into a ball. Make sure your head is tucked in, knees tucked into the chest and your arms are hugging your knees. Hold your breath and watch your self float. When you begin to exhale you will naturally start to sink. To become more aware of your breath control and how it plays a vital role in your body’s natural buoyancy, try to find a space between the bottom and the surface, blow out your air slowly until you find the point of equilibrium where you are no longer rising or sinking. When I was a young swimmer, I used to do this a lot for fun when I didn’t think the coach was looking. Turns out, they were, every time, and I always got in trouble for not listening!

Nose exhale

To practice breathing out of your nose, take a breath into your tummy and begin humming as you descend into the water, or put your face into the water and remain humming as your face breaks the surface (so no water enters the airways on the way up).

Body Balance

Rotate arms down, you need to keep your head still. Moving it only to breathe. You will notice that the most challenging part is to keep kicking normally since your legs will also be rotating with your whole body. Try this exercise by kicking strongly.

– variations arms on the front

How will it help?

• Establishes alignment of head, hips and heels.
• Allows you to feel the buoyancy of your body in the water.
• Teaches you to relax and let the water hold you up instead of fighting to stay afloat.
• Promotes a longer, taller body with good posture

Variation

Use Snorkel

Drill Library: Balance Drill

1 & 1

Put your left paddle and your right fin now swim normal freestyle, try to pull as much water as the hand with the paddle on, and try to have an effective kick with both legs. Engage the core to stabilize your stroke.

Then change sides, put your right paddle and your left fin.

How will it help?

• Improve your coordination.
• Stabilize your core
• Improve your pull and kick

Tarzan

Swim with your head out of the surface of the water looking straight. This will make the hips to sink so you have to engage your core and do a strong kick to keep your hips up.

*Swimmers shouldn’t be taking long, loping strokes and rotating from side to side. Rather, they should be entering the water a little short, driving their arms right into their catch and pulling back fast and strong before the next stroke. Instead of a dramatic rotation on each side, swimmers should focus on having as little movement as possible in their lower body and keeping their hips stable to ride the momentum from each stroke. “James Sica”

If you’re having trouble maintaining the tarzan position you can add fins.

How will it help?

• Body awareness
• Core control
• Faster tempo (sprinters)
• Clearer view (open water)

Glide Rotate Glide

One arm resting on the side of your body, with the other arm you will do one stroke once the arm is gliding in front, you will put it back to recovery position then do another stroke and change arms.

Useful equipment: snorkel, fins.

How will it help?

• Make your stroke more efficient.
• Swim smoother long distances
• Improve rotation and gliding 
• Grab more water with each stroke

Dip & Kick

One arm resting on the side of your body, with the other arm you will do one stroke once the arm is gliding in front, you will put it back to recovery position doing this 3 times the 3^rd time you will do it fast and you will start kicking explosive. Then change arms.

Useful equipment: paddles, snorkel, fins.

How will it help?

• Improve your explosiveness
• Coordinate your stroke and kick
• Correct hand entry

Low Pullbouy

Put on a pullbouy between your feet, or a kickboard or a stretch band around your ankles.  Anything that stops you from kicking.

Breakout

Break out drill there is really no margin of error in the sprint freestyle event carrying the momentum from the dive or the turn throughout the entire swims is critical for a good fast free a good transition from your underwater to your stroke will help you carry that beep practice kicking in a streamline and doing an explosive breakout leave one arm in front then pull strongly with the other and when the first one is about to finish falling engage the second one as well

How will it help?

• Keep the speed from the dive
• Fast transition

-Variations-

Dolphin Breakout

Finally the closer you are to the surface of the water when you do the breakout the better practice this kick and dive about a meter or yards deep slowly come up and try to break out very close to the surface adjust until the first stroke brings your head out of the water remember not to breathe and the first stroke

How will it help?

• Keep the speed from the dive
• Fast and better transition

Dolphin to flutter

streamline butterfly kick then change to flutter

How will it help?

optional

Use Snorkel

Steady Hand

Just do 1 stroke and stay

How will it help?

• Improve your coordination.
• Stabilize your core
• Improve your pull and kick

Rotate on Streamline

Do a streamline on your back, do a easy flutter kick then holding your streamline position calmly start spinning in 360 degrees until your face is out of the water.

-Variations-

Pullbouy or band

How will it help?

Butterfly kick on back

At the water surface, lie on your back, face to the ceiling, extend the arms in front of you, then do a body dolphin kicking motion.

Variations

face down

hands down

How will it help?

optional

Use Snorkel front streamline

Socks

fly kick with socks

How will it help?

• Improve your coordination.
• Stabilize your core
• Improve your kick

Finger Tips

Drag your fingertips across the surface of the water as you recover from each pull, keeping your finger somewhat rigid. 

After you pull underwater and begin to bring your arm back up, dragging your fingers over the top of the water as you return your hand to the start of the stroke position.

By doing this drill you will see where and how you are entering the water.

How will it help?

• Have a relax recovery.
• Keep a high elbow.
• Prevents you from wasting energy
• Awareness to your arm position during recover

Catch-Up

Do one normal arm stroke, keep the other arm still in the front waiting for the arm doing the stroke to catch up.

Once the arm doing the stoke reaches the arm in the front do a stroke with the opposite arm.

How will it help?

• Help your distance per stroke
• Improve hand entry so it doesn’t cross over.
• Have a better glide

Fast Feet Slow Arms

Do a fast kick while maintaining a slow arm stroke. Try keeping your body straight and floating more up towards the surface.

Underwater Freestyle Recovery

Freestyle without the traditional above water, high elbow recovery. Rather than recovering on top of the water, you will slide your arms back underwater in front of your body with each pull.

Try to optimize your pull by grabbing all the water you can while reducing the frontal drag of your other arm by positioning your hand to be always pointing to the front.

This drill makes it harder to recover since the recovery is underwater, but it will help you have a more relaxed recovery once you do normal freestyle.This will help you feel the frontal drag. It will help your body understand the importance of the pull and the recovery.

How will it help?

• Improve hand speed
• Catch more water.
• Body line position

Freestyle with Dolphin Kicks

Do normal freestyle strokes but instead of doing a flutter kick do dolphin kicks, try to do them with some synchronization. Start with a normal pace, and as you get better try to increase the speed.

How will it help?

• Improve stroke rhythm and tempo.
• Improve your coordination.

Freestyle with Breaststroke legs

Do a breaststroke kick every 2 strokes with your arms (left & right) then breath to the front while doing the breastroke kick.

How will it help?

• Improve your coordination.

Reverse Freestyle

Position your feet facing the opposite end of the pool. Swim freestyle in reverse, breathing as you normally would throughout the stroke.

Aim to use the arms almost in a “reverse catch” position, pressing the water toward their heads to propel themselves forward while simultaneously keeping a linear body position.

How will it help?

• Improve your coordination.
• Improve your flotation.

Zipper

On the recovery phase of the stroke, you will drag the thumb along the side of the torso as if you were close a zipper. Once you reach the armpit finish the recovery phase as normal, entering the water in front of the stroke and continuing with your pull cycle.

How will it help?

• Improve your coordination.
• Relax high elbow recovery 
• Stable body position

Arms streamline – on knee, standing, on block

1. Arms streamline on one knee,
2. Arms streamline standing
3. Arms streamline on block

How will it help?

Arms down – on knee, standing, on block

1. Arms down on one knee,
2. Arms down standing
3. Arms down on block

How will it help?

Body soldier in streamline

Jump in a streamline, feet first good tight streamline

How will it help?

Dolphins – shallow water

push from the floor and go in then repeat

How will it help?

Penguin jump

jump with the head first

How will it help?

Arms on streamline leg up

Kromowidjojo drill

How will it help?

run and jump *very cautious*

Kromowidjojo drill

How will it help?

Grab the block

Dive starting postion, do not grab the black with the hands, give the start command and grab the block asap

How will it help?

Escape the kickboard

While the swimmer is on the block, a partner stands directly behind with a kickboard. As soon as the start signal sounds, the partner swings the kickboard. The swimmer should be off the board before the kickboard catches how or her legs.

How will it help?

Circle worm or ula ula

make a circle in the water and jump to it

How will it help?

Jump past a noodle

put the noodle like a line where you have to jump farther

How will it help?

Bucitos

Bucitos saca el aire por la nariz

How will it help?

Dive for Rings

put objects on the surface of the pool and grab them (shallow water)

How will it help?

Breathing patterns

Change your breathing patterns in sets 9,7,5,3 etc

How will it help?

Longer walls

Every turn and push do an extra dolphin kick or and do not breath on the first stroke

How will it help?

Reduce Breaths

Reduce your breaths on sets

How will it help?

Reduce Resting Breaths 

count your breaths while you rest and reduce.

How will it help?

Snorkel

use snorkel

How will it help?

Grab the kickboard from end

grab the kickboard from the end, arms straight

How will it help?

Strokes and Glide

Do 3 strokes and glide on the 3rd stroke for about 6 kicks, now do another 3 strokes and glide with the opposite arm.

Notice the position of your hands and head and adjust if they’re causing frontal drag.

How will it help?

• Rotate better
• Make your stroke more efficient
• Improve your gliding position

Freestyle Pause

Side kick – 1 arm up

arm on the side and kick

How will it help?

Single leg kick

Kick with only one leg, keeping your non-working leg straight.

How will it help?

• Emphasizes the up kick phase.
• Engage core

Zero Kick

Doing a fast kick it’s essential while swimming sprints to do this drill float on the surface with your arms in a streamline and doing no kick, start by kicking as fast as possible. Feel how the kick should originate from the hips all the way down to your feet.

How will it help?

• Improve your kick reaction.
• Kick speed & explosiviness
• Have a more efficient kick

-Variations-

Kick Competition

Try this have you and another teammate race from the flags to the wall the rules are that you can only use your legs to move forward you cannot push up the floor and you can only do flutter kick have a third person side start the first one to the wall win you will find that it is incredibly difficult to start moving and you will have to move your legs extremely fast in order to move

How will it help?

• Go as fast as possible

Out Kick

Another way to improve the speed of your kick is to get it out of the water and kick as fast as possible without worrying about traction or bending your knees too much just focus on moving your legs fast.

How will it help?

• Kick speed & explosiviness

Vertical kick 

kick vertically on a deep pool

How will it help?

• Kick speed & explosiviness

-Variations-

weighted

Tombstone kicks

kick with your board vertically pushing all the wayer

How will it help?

• Kick power & endurance

DPS (Distance Per Stroke)

The distance traveled from each individual stroke. Count each stroke per length of the pool (25m, 25y or 50).

Counting your strokes is very important. Knowing how many you are doing, and then having a goal of how many you want to do.

Get used to count how many strokes you are doing on a normal rate pace and when you are sprinting. When sprinting the DPS will increase around 30%

How will it help?

• Make your stroke more efficient.
• Understand your swim better.

One Arm

Swim freestyle with only one arm, your non-working arm should be extended resting on your side.

Breath to the opposite side of the arm doing the stroke. When you stretch your arm forward breath and rotate to get you shoulder out of the water.

How will it help?

• Improve your balance
• Help with your rotation
• Focus one arm at the time

-Variations-

One arm straight

Like the one arm drill but keep the non-working arm in front, and you will breath to the side of the arm doing the stroke.

How will it help?

• Improve your reach
• Do not cross your arm

Slow Mo

Super slow swimming is a way to force yourself to really think about your technique and body position. 

Fight against the natural urge to swim fast and swim with super slow, deliberate technique. Kick consistently to keep your hips up, nail your hand entry, and focus on a clean and powerful pulling motion.

Toss a pull-buoy between your legs if you want to specifically target the pulling motion. Do the drill with fins and paddles to over-emphasize the kick and pull. Play around with the drill, increase your “stroke awareness,” and improve that near-mythical feel for the water.

How will it help?

• Maintain an even stroke tempo (otherwise your body will sink between strokes),

Closed Fist

Just like freestyle but swim with closed fists you will feel like you’re not pulling water and that is the point.

Focus on grabbing water with your forearms and upper part of your arms.

You will increase your strokes per length when having your fists closed, but once you open your hands feel the power of the pull with your hands. It will eventually help you increase your DPS (distance per stroke)

How will it help?

• Help you use the whole arm to improve the pull.
• Get a better feeling for the water
• Increase your distance per stroke.

-Variations-

Fist sprints

Just like the normal closed-fist drill but FAST!

How will it help?

• Help you spin faster for freestyle sprinting.
• Catch the water faster.

Sculling High elbow

Pull water backwards from the beginning of your stroke, you must have a high elbow on the first part of the stroke.

So try sculling three times and not moving your elbow. Just use your forearm and hands. Then do a normal stroke to change arms.

How will it help?

• Improve the pull technique.
• Feel for the water

-Variations-

Sculling

Your arms should be up at the surface of the water, with your forearms and hands pointing to the bottom of the pool. Sculling in + Sculling out – front of your shoulder line, feeling the water with hands and forearms when you are doing this, with a small little flutter kick to make sure the legs stay up.

How will it help?

• Improve hand speed
• Catch more water.
• Body line position

PullBouy

Use a pullbouy so you can concentrate only in puling

How will it help?

Paddles

use any kind of paddles

How will it help?

Anti-paddles

similar to having swimming with your fists

How will it help?

2 Beat Kick

The right hand is about to enter the water, the left hip is down and left foot is up, ready to kick. The left foot has now driven the right hand to full extension and the hips have rotated.

The left hand is about to enter the water, the right hip is down and right foot is up, ready to kickThe right foot has now driven the left hand to full extension and the hips have rotated.

Which means 1 kick per stroke.

How will it help?

Blow Bubbles

Blow bubbles thru your nose, so you can practice what you have to do when you turn, blow bubbles on you laying on your back

How will it help?

Biceps Curl

practice the curl that will help you turn

How will it help?

Hug Knees

Hug your knees so you can feel the position of your turn in the turn

How will it help?

Turn No Wall

Turn in the middle of the pool, you can push from the wall do 6 strokes then turn.

How will it help?

Wall Flip

Push with one foot of the wall while standing up

How will it help?

Push & rotate

Grab the wall, push underwater and rotate.

similiar to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhRo4I9wReA

How will it help?

Standing Turn

Jump from the floor, and turn.

How will it help?

Touch the Wall

Touch the wall with your hands and turn, make sure to bury your head

How will it help?

3 Sec Stop

do a normal flip turn, when your feet touches the wall stop for 3 seconds before pushing.

How will it help?

Kickboard Turn

do a normal flip turn but with the board in one of your hands.

How will it help?

Underwater Turn

Do a flip turn under water, one you are reaching the wall dive and turn underwater, not touching any surface.

How will it help?

Kick Fly on Back

Kick butterfly on your back 

Variations

Hands down, head up and watch your kick.

How will it help?

Biggest, smallest, medium.

Do a underwater kick really big dolphin kick , then do one very small narrow, and then do one in between.

How will it help?

Side Kick

kick on your side, arm up , back, front 

How will it help?

Caterpillas

Lead with your head and chest to make large dolphin kicks, arms down facing floor.

How will it help?

variations

arms up

Fish Kick

Overexagerated your ondulation, kick as big as you can with your whole body, on your side.

How will it help?

Vertical Kick

Grab the wall, push underwater and rotate.

similiar to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhRo4I9wReA

How will it help?

Inside out flip turn 

6 strokes, flip, then dolphin kicks to the wall

How will it help?