If you have taken a bit of time off over the winter and were just starting to consider getting back into a routine for your swimming then one thing that I find to be really helpful as you return to the water is getting back a good ‘feel for the water’.
How can you achieve this?
By completing some swim drills while you are at the pool you can set up your technique to be more effective rather than just diving in and thrashing yourself up and down the pool.
The 10:1 Drill is one of the drills that I really like to help you feel a lot more efficient in the water. The body rotation helps develop the ‘distance per stroke’ in your swimming and when done correctly for many swimmers reduce the load on the shoulders as the hips now drive the rotation.
To further explain the distance per stroke aspect from my comment above look at the two pictures below:
Position 1: “I am just reaching up with my arm and shoulder”
Position 2: “I am now using my hip rotation and I am able to achieve a greater height”
Getting to the stage when Body Rotation is working effectively is possibly the easiest and most effective way to see an improvement in body position on the water.
Watch this video with New Zealand Olympian Dylan Dunlop Barrett undertaking this drill and listen to the key point described in the video. Remember if you aren’t quite as efficient as Dylan then complete this drill using some fins to support your body position to effectively complete this drill.
To learn more about Body Rotation and additional tips please visit: http://www.boostcoaching.co.nz/body-roation/
Article written by Andrew Mackay, Boost Coaching
