The following list represents the most common stroke limiters we see in the pool along with strategies to correct them. As coach your first priority is to deliver safety, swimming, and smiles. Your ability to observe and correct is something that will come with time as you gain confidence and develop your vision.
Drill: Side swim
Cue:
Inhalation
One eye in, one eye out.
See water wash on the bottom goggle
Where are you looking? Look for lane rope
Rest your ear on a pillow.
Exhalation (head down)
Tuck the chin, look down (or not as far down lane)
Apple under the chin
Neutral head
Drill:
Pull buoy and band. A splayed kick keeps us in balance and we don’t notice it. When not kicking, and with the feet together, the motion becomes very obvious and this allows the swimmer to widen their arms and feel the result in the leg positioning.
One Arm drill focusing on maintaining shoulder width with lead arm and stroking arm.
Cue:
Imagine you’re paddling a surf board. The board is wide beneath you and won’t let your arms come inside.
Swim on the rails. Two rails, shoulder width apart. Keep your arms along that line.
Drill:
Cue:
Down-sloped arm
Fingers below elbow, below shoulder
Drill:
Slo Mo Swim: With fins, hold side swim position for three seconds then switch sides so arms change from front to back, back to front at same time.
Front Quad Pause: Same as above but pause with recovering hand even with ear before switch happens (front quadrant)
One Arm Offside: Don't pause the stroking hand.
Cue:
Maintain opposition of the hands, like a windmill. (This is an initial over-compensation to break them out of catch up.)
Imagine you’re on a treadmill. If you don’t move water with your hands you’ll fall off the back.
What it looks like (first 10 seconds under, next 10 seconds over)
Drill:
Under-rotation: Slo Mo Swim
Over-rotation: Hypoxic swim. Take 4-6 strokes with head down/not inhaling, focusing on even rotation to a max of 45 degrees. Start to breathe again but maintain that angle of rotation.
One Arm Offside: Focus on rotating to the offside
Cue:
Rock from hip to hip
Never flat on your chest
What it looks like. Head stays up inhaling while backside stroke is already moving back.
Drill: One Arm Offside
Drill:
Pull buoy with focus on even hip rotation to both sides especially while exhaling. This allows time for the longer finish.
One Arm with focus on finish
Kick board held between legs, tap it on finish as you swim
Cue:
Thumb to thigh. Ensure your thumb lightly brushes your thigh at the end of every stroke.
Drill:
One Arm focusing on entry at half full arms length using lead arm as guide
Cue:
Open a hole with all fingers that arm then enters through
Imagine your arm as an arrow high in bow then shooting down tip first
Drill:
One Arm Fist/Palm. Focus on keeping the elbow higher than the wrist during the initial pull phase.
Dog paddle with focus on high elbows and pressure on forearms
Slo Mo Swim gives you time to think about the initial stages of the catch like elevating the wrist and feel for water
Cue:
Imagine you’re paddling a surf board.
Feel water on your forearms
An eyeball on your elbow would be looking to the side
Drill:
Scissor Kick on Deck. Have them do straight leg scissor action on edge of pool or on deck then move it to the water.
Vertical Kick: With fins on and a board in hand, float vertically in the deep end and kick to keep yourself afloat. Keep the body aligned and focus on long, straighter legs.
Cue:
Keep legs straight, allow resistance of water to bend knee but don’t think about bending you knee
If your hips aren’t rocking it’s a sign it’s a knee kick as opposed to hip
Fingers Too Spread
Drill: One Arm with focus on one hand at a time
Cue:
Fingers together, thumb out. This is step one usually in correcting.
Soft hands with fingers relaxed and very slightly apart is step two.
Muscling the Water
What it looks like: Swimmer is too fast from entry to mid-pull and doesn't have patience in the catch in order to gather water.
Drills:
Cue:
Gather, feel, throw
Flow, don't muscle
Wide/Swinging Recovery
Drill: Zipper Drill. Draw your thumb up the side of your body from your thigh to your armpit during the recovery phase.
Cue: Aim for the railway track coming from your shoulder.
Holding Breath
Drill:
Side swim with rotation of head to inhale/exhale
Bobbing: Crouching in the shallow end practice inhaling and then exhaling allowing your body to sink so you submerge and blow bubbles.
Cue:
Continuous Bubbles. Start exhaling the moment your face enters the water so you are ready to inhale immediately.
Make sure depth of inhalation and exhalation matches effort level, shallower and relaxed when swimming easy, deep and powerful when swimming hard.
Experiment with breathing every second stroke if usually breathing every third.