Swimming Training: Making It Fun

Last Updated on March 30, 2024 by admin

Just because a set or a drill is fun, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t help fulfil some swimming objective or goal. — **Just because a set or a drill is fun, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t help fulfill some swimming objective or goal.**

In this article, we’ll provide hacks, tips and examples of how to make a swimming training session more fun.

Sometimes swimmers need some extra motivation to keep training hard and often.
Introducing some new and challenging fun sets and drills into a swimming programme can be not only motivational for swimmers of all ages but for the coach as well.
Just because a set or a drill is fun, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t help fulfil some swimming objective or goal.
There are endless possibilities for both coaches and swimmers to add fun and variety to a training session. All it requires is a bit of pre-planning, some inspiration and imagination.
We have put together some of our favourite ‘fun’ sets and drills which we hope will kick-start the process.

Adding variety to a training session

Set mini-goals

Some swimmers set themselves mini-goals before the start of each training session, to help them stay focused. For example, they may set themselves a goal of tight streamlining out of each turn.

Adding variety to a training set

Senior swimmers

Senior club swimmers are seen as role models for many younger swimmers.

Arrange for a senior swimmer to demonstrate new drills and skills.
Or arrange for a senior swimmer to train with the younger swimmers.
These are great ways of adding motivation, fun and variety.

Individual Medley

An individual medley-based training programme has many benefits, which include,

All-round stroke development

Individual medley training develops the technique of all four competitive strokes. This often results in the development of many multi-event competitive swimmers.

Fitness

The changing of the strokes and tempo, during individual medley training, further develops a swimmer’s aerobic capacity and general conditioning.

Variation

Individual medley training adds variety and balance to any training programme.

Stroke Count

Stroke count is the number of strokes it takes for a swimmer to complete a given number of lengths/laps. A swimmer’s stroke count is largely influenced by their technique.
The more technically efficient the swimmer, the longer their distance per stroke and therefore, the fewer strokes they will take to complete a length/lap.
By counting their strokes, swimmers will not only help improve their technique but will add variety to their training sessions.

Breathing on the weaker side

Most swimmers have a weaker side when it comes to breathing during freestyle.

Introducing freestyle sets where a swimmer can only breathe on their weaker side, not only develops a key swimming skill but also adds variety to the set

Using the pace clock

Many coaches especially when coaching young or inexperienced swimmers, tend to read the pace clock for them.

To add variety, coaches should sometimes let them work out their own set, rep and recovery times.
For senior or more experienced swimmers, giving them odd sets, reps and recovery times can add variety to a set.
For example, 10 x 50m freestyle on 57 seconds.

Swim odds set distances

Swimming odd distances, such as 125m or 175m adds variety and may make the swimmer think, as they need to adjust to unfamiliar distances and set times.

**There are endless possibilities for both coaches and swimmers to add fun and variety to a training session.**

Adding fun to a training session

Listed below are some ideas for adding fun to a swimming training session

Stroke variation

Using a combination or hybrid strokes is a great way of adding fun and variation, while at the same time continuing a swimmer’s development. For example,

Butterfly arms, freestyle legs

Performing butterfly arms with a freestyle leg kick can help to increase a swimmer’s stroke rate.

Double arm pull backstroke

Performing backstroke with a double arm pull is a great drill for helping the swimmer to develop a ‘little finger in first’ backstroke pull.

Water polo freestyle

Water polo freestyle is a great but simple drill for improving a swimmer’s freestyle stroke rate.
- Raising the swimmer’s head will lower the legs in the water and shorten their stroke, this will ensure that when performing this drill there will be plenty of resistance to overcome.
- This will ensure that the swimmer will increase their stroke rate.

Doggie Paddle

Doggie paddle is a great fun sculling drill, that can be used as a part of a warm-up or cooldown

Kicking speed play on the whistle

Introduction: A fun but tough drill that develops and maintains a strong freestyle leg kick.

How to perform this drill: From a push and glide from the end of the pool, the swimmer starts by performing a slow and steady freestyle leg kick, with a kickboard.

The coach then blows a whistle which is the signal for the swimmer to perform a fast freestyle leg kick at sprint speed until the coach blows the whistle again, and the swimmer then returns to a slow and steady kick.
Repeat these bouts of random fast and slow kicking, initially over 50m/100m.
Gradually increase the intensity of the set, by a combination of longer fast intervals, shorter rests or by slowly increasing the distance.

Swimming widths

If available, swimming widths are great for speed, turns and underwater dolphin kicking for swimmers of all ages and experience.

Stop the training swims

Sometimes a coach can see that the swimmers in their charge need a break from the rigors of training, or that they need an extra incentive to achieve a certain goal.

Some coaches challenge their swimmers, to achieve a certain goal that will put a stop to the planned session and let everyone do a fun drill or relay.

For example, no one takes a breath directly out of a freestyle turn.

Using equipment

Listed below are some ideas for adding fun to a swimming training session, by using both standard and unusual swimming equipment. For example,

Resistance swims:

Resistance swims using either bungee cords, drag pants or drag belts. requires the swimmer to increase their stroke rate.

Woggles/noodles can be used as a group kicking device. — **Woggles/noodles can be used as a group-kicking device.**

Woggles/noodles kicking:

This is a great fun kicking drill.

Three to four swimmers, each position themselves lengthways behind a woggle/noodle.
They hold the woggle/noodle lengthways with both hands.
Then proceed to group kick for a length/lap of the pool.

Paper cups:

Paper cups can be used to help develop a swimmer’s head position during backstroke.

The swimmer half fills a paper cup (with a flat bottom) with pool water.
Whilst still holding the cup, they then float on their back.
They then balance the cup on their forehead, without the cup falling.
Once mastered, the swimmer attempts to scull on their back for a length/lap of the pool, again without the cup falling.
Once mastered, the swimmer attempts to swim backstroke for a length/lap of the pool, again without the cup falling.

Fun Relays

T-shirt relay

Relay overview:

Teams of swimmers race one another, with each swimmer swimming and relay leg in a t-shirt and exchanging it with the next member of their team before they can swim their leg.

Stroke/drill:

All competitive strokes

Team criteria:

Two teams or more, of four to six swimmers, of roughly the same ability and speed.

Equipment required:

One large tee shirt per team. Ideally all the same size (XXL, the bigger the better) and thickness.

Relay Description:

The starting swimmers start with the t-shirt on and swim the prescribed distance.
On completing their leg, the first swimmer gets out of the pool.
There they grasp the wrists of the second swimmer and both swimmers lower their heads.
They exchange the t-shirt, with the help of their teammates.
The teammates help to pull the t-shirt over the head of the first swimmer, onto the body of the second swimmer.
The relay continues with each team swimming a leg in the t-shirt.
The winning team is those who complete the swim the quickest

No goggles relay

Unfortunately, sometimes a swimmer’s goggle slips off during competition.

A great way of preparing the swimmers for such an eventuality is to introduce them to swimming without goggles.
These can be simply straight freestyle, breaststroke or butterfly relays
Or you can use your imagination and come up with something far more interesting.

Related publication: Swimming Training Relay Drills containing over 50 competitive and fun relay drills.

We have published a related publication: Swimming Training Relay Drills. For further details and ordering information please use the following link: Swimming Training Relay Drills

Games

Swim Golf

Introduction: Swim Golf is a fun drill that has the same objectives as the min-max drill.

Which is for a swimmer to swim a given distance in the minimum amount of arm strokes, with the maximum amount of speed.
While performing this drill, swimmers should focus on great technique.
Ensure that swimmers allow the swimmers swimming behind them to complete the whole length of the pool, so they can record an accurate and unhurried stroke count.

How to perform this drill:

Swimmers swim 2 x 50m to establish a ‘par’ stroke efficiency score
By adding the number of seconds, it took to complete the rep, to the number of strokes it took to complete the rep, this gives the swimmer their par ‘stroke efficiency score’.
For example, A swimmer completes a rep in a time of 30 seconds with a stroke count of 36.
By adding the number of seconds, it took to complete the rep, to the number of strokes it took to complete the rep, this gives the swimmer a total ‘stroke efficiency par score’ of 66.
Swimmers then perform a set of 9 x 50m on 1 minute 15 seconds. (starting a new rep every 1 minute 15 seconds)
Swimmers count their arm strokes and add them to their time, for each rep.
The swimmer then compares their rep score to their ‘par’ score.
A coach or the swimmers are required to keep score.

Scoring example:

If a swimmer’s ‘par’ stroke efficiency score is 66 and they take a total of 64 on the first rep, then their score is two under par (just as in real golf)
This process continues throughout the set.
The winners are those swimmers with the lowest (under par) scores.
Once the swimmer has established a consistent swimming efficiency score over 9 x 50m, they can then double the distance to 18 x50m with the objective of maintaining the same efficiency score as they did over 9 x 50m.
Once mastered, this drill can also be conducted over 100m or 200m reps