Swimming Drills: An Introduction

Last Updated on November 26, 2022 by admin

**Swimming drills are the cornerstone of many swimming training programmes.**

In this article, we’ll provide advice, hacks and tips as an introduction to swimming drills.

What are swimming drills?

Swimming drills are a series of technical and physical exercises.

These are performed by competitive swimmers at all levels, during their training.
When correctly performed and with repetitive practice,
Can help swimmers to master key swimming skills.
Even under the pressure of competition.

Sets and reps

A series of similar swimming drills grouped together is often referred to as a set.

Within a set, drills are usually repeated a number of times.
These are usually referred to as reps (repetitions).
For example 4 x 100m Freestyle on 1.30.
- This means this set of 100m Freestyle swims,
- Which are repeated 4 times,
- With a target time for each repetition.

What are the key benefits of swimming drills?

Swimming drills are the cornerstone of all training programmes.

They help provide both the coach and the swimmer with many key benefits.

These include,

Facilitating the coaching of the correct technique.
By enabling the gradual introduction of new swimming skills.
Some drills help to break down more complex swimming skills into smaller parts.
Enabling the swimmer to focus on one particular aspect of the skill or technique at a time.
Drills are often used to effectively correct poor technique.

Muscle memory

As swimmers overtime perform repetitive swimming drills.

They become stored in their ‘muscle memory’*.
Which allows them to automatically perform these drills as taught without conscious thought.

*Muscle memory definition:

The ability to reproduce a movement without conscious thought.
These are acquired as a result of frequent repetition of that movement.

Please note: Swimmers and coaches should be aware that muscle memory can store bad technique as well as good technique.

Making focusing on good technique while performing any swimming very important.

Learning a new drill

Most training programmes use drills to help the swimmer develop an effective stroke technique.

However, it can take approximately three weeks or longer to properly learn a new drill.
- During the first week, most swimmers learn the basic mechanics and sequence of the drill.
When performing a new drill for the first time, swimmers should start slowly.
- They should walk through the drill first if required.
Most swimmers find the second week the most frustrating as they try to master the drill.
Swimmers can slowly increase the speed and intensity of the drill as they become more proficient.
After three weeks most swimmers find that a new drill starts to become second nature.
Once learned, drills need to be consistently and persistently practiced.

Types of swimming drills

There are many swimming drills covering all aspects of competitive swimming. These include,

Warm-up drills

Warm-up drills are often used to ensure that warm-ups are conducted at the correct tempo.
They are sometimes used as an introduction to the main training set.
Many swimmers use warm-up drills as a part of their warm-up routine prior to competition.
For example, pulling and kicking drills for the four competitive strokes.

Stroke drills

Stroke drills are often used to help develop or maintain a swimmer’s stroke technique.
They are also used to help the swimmer develop a ‘feel for the water’.
For example, catch-up and sculling drills for the four competitive strokes.

Body position drills

Body position drills are often used to help swimmers reduce drag.
They are also used to gain distance through the water.
For example, streamlining and push and glide drills.

Recovery drills

Recovery drills are often used to help swimmers recover after a long-distance or high-intensity set.
For example, sculling drills
These types of drills are also often used as a part of a swimmer’s cool-down procedure.

Technical drills

Technical drills are often used to help develop or maintain a swimmer’s technical ability.
For example, learning to perform a backstroke flip turn or a freestyle track start.

Speed drills

Speed drills are often used to help develop a swimmer’s stroke rate, tempo or speed.

For example, a butterfly arm stroke with a freestyle leg kick.

This helps to increase a swimmer’s butterfly stroke rate.
Another example is, a breaststroke arm pull with a butterfly leg kick.
This helps to increase a swimmer’s breaststroke stroke rate.

Key points to remember when practising swimming drills

Swimmers should try to remember the following when practising swimming drills.

Understand the drill

For a drill to be performed effectively, it needs to be fully understood by the swimmer.

They should know how it’s performed, its correct sequence and its purpose.
If in doubt ask your coach for assistance.

Focus on the technique

Swimmers should concentrate and be fully focused on delivering their best technique.

Have patience

Some drills can be quite complex and take time to master.

Swimmers and coaches should both have patience.
The key consideration is that the drills are performed correctly.

Start slowly

It’s important that the swimmer performs a new drill with the correct technique.

This may require them to initially start slowly and break the drill down into smaller parts.
Swimmers should only increase the speed or move on to the next part of the drill once it has been mastered.

Intensity and rest

Coaches usually set swimming drill sets with designated intensity and rest levels.

It’s important that swimmers perform drills at the intensity designated by the coach
With the appropriate rest intervals.
These will help to achieve the desired physical and technical outcomes.

Practise

In order to master swimming drills, they should be practised persistently and consistently.

Takeaways

Swimming drills are a series of technical and physical exercises.

These are performed by competitive swimmers at all levels, during their training.
When correctly performed and with repetitive practice,
Can help swimmers to master key swimming skills.
Even under the pressure of competition.

Swimming drills are the cornerstone of all training programmes.

They help provide both the coach and the swimmer with many key benefits.

These include,

Facilitating the coaching of the correct technique.
Some drills help to break down more complex swimming skills into smaller parts.

Enabling the swimmer to focus on one particular aspect of the skill or technique at a time.

Drills are often used to effectively correct poor technique.

Swimming Resource Library

We have produced a swimming resource library.

This contains links to our ever-expanding portfolio of blog posts.
These are subdivided by swimming category

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We produce a growing range of publications on a wide range of swimming subjects.

These include competitive swimming drill publications.
Which are now available in both Amazon Kindle and paperback formats.
For information regarding our portfolio please follow our link: Swimming publications

The Competitive Swimming Exchange – Facebook Group

The Competitive Swimming Exchange is a Facebook group to help exchange ideas and information to collectively improve the sport we love.

It’s an international group for all swimmers,
As well as coaches, teachers, masters, triathletes and swimming parents.
In fact, it’s for all those who are interested in competitive swimming, either in the pool or in open water.

For more information about joining this group please use the following link: The Competitive Swimming Exchange

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