5 swimming drills to help you unlock your full potential

[PB Swimming Editor]

Having good technique is the key to developing a more efficient swim stroke and drills are the key to good technique. You need to do drills regularly to see significant improvement in technique and the best way to ensure that you do them consistently is to build them into your warm-up or warm-down programme. If you train with a club, you will also experience many coaches incorporating drills into specific main set sessions.

Here are 5 swimming drills to help you unlock your full potential:

Catch-up
This is an alternating single-arm drill. Wait for your hand to meet the other in front before pulling (touch and go) with the other arm. This drill works on your pull and rotation and helps develop a long stroke and body position..

Single arm
Keep one arm in front while you stroke with the other. This drill lets you focus on one arm at a time – focus on arm position and hand entry.

Fist
Swim with your fingers closed into a fist. This drill helps to promote a better feel for the water.

Finger-tip drag
On your recovery, drag you finger tips lightly across the water before entering for the next pull. This works on high elbow during the recovery.

Scull
On your stomach, with arms stretched out, place your palms together and thumbs up. Rotate hands so that thumbs are down (with hands apart) and move your palms outward while pushing water out just past shoulder width. Rotate hands to thumbs up and push water back in (almost a figure 8.) Feeling the water pressure with your hands and arms should move you forward in the pool. Keep your face in the water during the drill, raising your head to breathe while kicking.

Check out this link to see some drill videos.