Drill Inventory

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Drill Inventory

Desert Island Drills (Coach Geordie's Big 3)

• Kick​ ​with​ ​board​ ​and​ ​fins​: front, vertical, back

  • Efficient, balanced kick, relaxed, increase ankle mobility

• One​ ​Arm​ ​with​ ​Paddles​: bottom goggle, stroke phases

  • Builds strength, practices body position, focuses on phases

• PBPB​: pull buoy/paddles/band

  • Forces upper body to balance without compensation from legs, core/arm powered 

Most Used Drills

• Standing position (for new swimmers): 

  • finger tip drag

  • entry 

  • all phases walking

• Side Swim (with fins)

  • Side Swim Head Up

  • Side Swim Head Down

• One arm (breathe same side as stroke) focus on:

  • Entry (distance, depth, delay)

  • Pull – set elbow

  • Pull pattern

  • Finish

  • Recovery

• One Arm Off Side

  • stroke with one arm, other at side, breathe to non stroke side

• One Arm Fist Palm

  • 6 strokes fist, 6 strokes palm 

• One Arm with Dolphin kick

• Hypoxic 5: symmetry

• 6 strokes hypoxic with pbpb

• PBPB: pull buoy paddle band

• Band only

• Recovery

  • Touch top of head with thumb during recovery

  • Zipper - drag thumb up side while recovering

  • Finger tip drag - drag tips on surface of water during recovery

• Deck up for high elbow and width

• Deck ups to stand then jump/dive back in

• Mid lane flip and build

• Kick

  • hold wall static

  • fins

  • front

  • back

  • vertical

  • grave stone

  • one leg

  • dolphin

Other Drills

• Elevator

• Log Roll

• Back Side Back w/ head up

• Finger flick for finish

• Shark pause, 3 stroke shark

• 3 stroke glide

• Catch up

• Dog paddle catch drill

Start Smart Progression for New Swimmers

Always fins – ankle flex and kick mechanics

1. Kick

   • front w/board

   • back w/board

2. Intro to Breathing: both hands on deck, exhale, turn to breathe

3. SSHU w/ board 

   • long body, bottom goggle, reach mouth, hips forward/linear

   • initially change sides once at 12.5

4. SSHD w/ board

   • breath timing, eyes straight down, push ear as turn to breath, goggle/mouth

   • initially change sides once at 12.5

5. Slow Mo Swim (SMS) w/ fin and board sideways 

   • long body, pause high elbow (thumb to side), wide reach, core activation on rotation 

   • at first head up to head up other side, later head up to head down other side

   • rhythm = start with five taps on hip and progress to 3

6. SSHU and HD with paddles instead of board

   • adjust for buoyancy

   • maintain width

7. SMS w/ paddles and fins 

   • maintain width, 3 second rhythm

   • go through check list each 50m

     • kick, head position (up, down), wide entry (linear body/hips)

     • watch for entry point and angle (not worked on to this point)

   • go to 2 second rhythm

8. One arm drill with board

   • Hold tail of board with one arm extended in front

   • Stroke with other arm focusing on all phases

     • Force air out so lungs empty when turn and no whiplash head

     • First goal: get comfortable

     • Next: wide entry + head timing to breathe + counter rotate

     • High elbow catch, forearm pull, finish, recovery

     • Rotate partially hip to hip while stroking

     • *Turn your head to breathe as the body rotates on the pull

9. Swim with Pull Buoy Paddles Band (No Fins)

   • take deep breath and float on stomach for 5 seconds

     • shows them they can relax and float without kick

   • width to avoid snake

10. Swim

    • replace PB with small kick

    • maintain slow 30 stroke rate, swim well, go through check list