Throughout the next couple of weeks and probably through our Pre-Season Clinic, I will be giving a little bit of info on the practices and practice sets that we’ll be swimming throughout the upcoming Short Course Season for the Hamden North Haven YMCA Swim Team.  A lot of these innovative practices came from experimental sets throughout the summer, and a lot of information gathered from various top-level college and club coaches.

So, let’s start out with the importance of One Arm (OA) drills and swims.  OA drills are all well and good, but drills are swum for the swimmer to focus on stroke technique.  I would like to talk quickly about OA swims at 85% effort or more.  These swims allow the coach to see a lot of real technique and efficiency/inefficiency areas. 

The first technique area that I look for in the OA swims is a quick/high catch.  As soon as the swimmer enters the water and reaches full extension, I am looking for an immediate early vertical forearm (EVF) position and the fingertips pointing or progressing toward the bottom of the pool.  A common mistake that swimmers make is having the hand scull out or pull in an S shape.  This is wasted movement based on scientific and biomechanical studies.

The second area that I am looking at is the acceleration of the arm through the pull phase of the stroke.  Following the entry and EVF, the swimmer needs to accelerate their arm through the pull phase.  This acceleration will create denser water and will propel the swimmer at a greater velocity and therefore give the swimmer a greater distance per stroke.  The common mistake that swimmers make with this is maintaining a constant rate of pull throughout, or slowing of the pull at the end of the stroke into the recovery.

The third and last pertinent (in my opinion) area that I am looking for is the consistency and rhythm of the kick.  I am looking for the swimmer to have a great driving kick.  Without that consistent and driving kick the swimmer will increase drag, reduce the efficiency of their body position, and significantly tire themselves out due to inefficiency.  The common mistake that swimmers make is to stop the consistency of the kick or don’t time their kick appropriately.

So, with all of that said, we will be conducting several OA swims and drills throughout the Short Course Swim Season along with other unique practice schemes.  Stay tuned for more…subscribe by clicking on the RSS button!