Half Ironman Swim Drills
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
These swimming drills are some of the basic exercises to be done to assist with strength increases and injury prevention. All of these exercises should be done with caution and if you have any prior injuries or contra-indications please consult with your medical professional before commencing with these drills.
Coach Parry is the High-Performance Coach for Triathlon South Africa
Coach Parry is the High-Performance Coach for Triathlon South Africa
Half Ironman Swim Drills
Below are the four swimming drills that you can incorporate into your Half Ironman training today that will help to improve your swimming.
Sculling
Swim with both arms extended. Bend your wrists and elbows slightly Gently scull your hands to the left and right, changing the angle of your hands (Not a small breaststroke pull).
Using a strong kick to keep your hips high in the water.
One arm drill
Swim with one arm extended the whole time. Remember to rotate the shoulders even though you are only using one arm.
The shoulder of the non-moving arm needs to break the surface of the water on each stroke ( rotating about 45 degrees relative to head position).
The 6-1-6 Drill
The sequence is 6 kicks ( 3 kicks per leg), 1 stroke, 6 kicks . Using fins for the drill will help you with momentum. Remember to keep rotating the body when you are stroking so that the shoulders keeps breaking the surface of the water.
When you are not stroking, keep the one arm in front of you while the other arm is to the side of your body. When you are breathing, you can use the arm that is in front of you to scull to help you balance the body and keep the head above the water.
The 6-3-6 Drill
The sequence is 6 kicks ( 3 kicks per leg), 3 strokes, 6 kicks . This drill is very similar to the 6-1-6 drill, but a bit easier due to the fact that you have more momentum when you are doing strokes. Remember to keep rotating the body when you are stroking so that the shoulders keeps breaking the surface of the water.
Using fins for the drill will help you with momentum. When you are not stroking, keep the one arm in front of you while the other arm is to the side of your body. When you are breathing, you can use the arm that is in front of you to scull to help you balance the body and keep the head above the water.