Anyone have any drills you find effective?

The most effective drills I find are the ones that correct a weakness in your stroke.

I was traveling in Australia once and every week the lifeguard (and swim coach) at the pool would watch me swim a session, then highlight a weakness in my stroke…………….and suggest a drill to try and correct it.

I’m no expert, but this was the one thing that really improved my swimming…………………… that and swimming with other people!!!

I agree with Mark. One very effective method is to have a swim coach identify the one aspect of your swim stroke that needs the most attention, then give you a few drills or advice that addresses the issue. You should then focus on that over the next week or two, before seeing the coach for feedback on your progress.

There is little benefit in doing a drill that addresses something that is not a weakness for you.

When receiving feedback from a swim coach, especially in a lesson, you are likely to receive feedback on more than one area of concern. ie, head position, hand entry, pull pattern, rotation, kick. If so, make sure you isolate one thing and focus on just that one thing at any one time. Then move on to the next thing. You can still do this during one workout, by doing say 20x50m (or yards) focusing on the first thing for 5 x 50, then the next thing for 5 x 50m and so on. These "Technique" swims should be the major focus during the off season, being sure to keep the intensity down and the quality up.

CoachKev.