Swim Tips: Clean Up Your "Front End"

Photo: The workout...at 5:30am.



Photo: Swim training. Train with others 1-3 times per week to see added improvement. Other swimmers can push your pace and also you can pick up technique tips from watching them. Don't be afraid to jostle with other swimmers because that is going to happen in a triathlon race. Also having a coach on deck can really keep you on task and motivated. Your coach will tell you if you start to swim sloppy.



Video: 2 Drills taking place so watch this multiple times. Mindy (in the far lane) is doing 1-arm Drill with Focus on Extended Arm. The thing to look at in this video is her outstretched arm. In this drill your outstretched arm should stay straight and not move around during the stroke. If you have to shimmy it to stay afloat, that probably means your balance in the water needs some work.

El Gato (near lane) is doing Kick on the Side, Face Up. This goal of this drill is to stay as high in the water as possible while simulating the position when you take a breath. He is doing this drill well with his face up, streamlined position, and arm extended near the surface of the water. To improve he needs to push his armpit down slightly into the water (so less of his face is out of the water.) This will lift his hips and legs even higher in the water.




Video: Jamie is doing Kick on the Side, Face Up also fairly well. His body is right against the surface and he looks smooth. But notice his arm is angled down in the water more which will leave room for the water to drag against the shoulder (close up.) He needs to wedge his shoulder up against the back of his head




Video: Stephen presents Kick on the Side, Face Up from a different angle. Notice how his arm crosses the black line on the bottom of the pool. He needs to angle his arm further back behind his head so that it extends straight out. This change requires a lot of flexibility to sustain this position.




Video: David here is one of the fastest swimmers in his age group at any race. He is awesome. But this clip shows a little bad habit. When he breathes to the right he "drops" his left arm. Notice when he breathes to the right, his left arm takes a stroke just a little too early. He can clean up his "front end" by keeping his left arm extended just a longer. This would add a little more "catch up"--and hence glide--to his stroke.