Body Line and Positioning

November 15, 2021 by Jeff N

The last few weeks I’ve been teaching a parent at class while training new staff. It’s giving me some insight into why we do the things we do. Why are we spending so much time on body position and how to hold the child? During swim lessons why do we spend the majority of the …

BR Arms Drill – Sitting on kickboard and sculling

March 18, 2021 by Jeff N

This is another drill I picked up from the ASCA Level 2 class. Sit on a kickboard and scull. Here is a decent quick video. A few rules:– Arms must remain in front of your body. No pulling.– Press with your palms and move in circular motions. For most beginners they’ll have a hard time …

BR Kick Drill – Breathe, Kick, Glide

March 18, 2021 by Jeff N

Using a kickboard, have your swimmers do 25’s or short distances (from the wall to 1/2 way). Start in position 11, holding the bottom of the board. Breathe: take a breath. Put your head back in the water. Kick: do a breaststroke kick. Glide: using the strength of the BR kick glide through the water …

Why its important for lap swimmers to streamline

January 21, 2020 by Jeff N

Aquatic professionals have a love hate relationship with lap swimmers. They show up at 5am thirty minutes before the pool opens. When you’re covering the morning shift for a guard that called in the night before at 11pm you’re not happy to see their expectant faces and scowls when you rub the sleep from your …

Drill – HLBw/R FR and BK

June 11, 2019 by Jeff N

Freestyle Drill – 0, 2, 5 (Fists progression)

June 10, 2019 by Jeff N

Drills for swim teams you might be skipping

April 17, 2019 by Jeff N

I get the feeling sometimes when I’m coaching or teaching a swim lesson that I’m wasting time. Sometimes I feel like when parents see me doing “floats” with their advanced swimmers, or doing a challenge where they do a front float, flip, then do a handstand we’re playing games without a purpose. If you’ve followed …

Variations on standard techniques for better swimming

September 14, 2019January 9, 2018 by Jeff N

At Swimming Ideas we’re all about ability, skill, and learning over endurance. I’d rather see someone swim well than swim sloppy for 200 yards. Perhaps I should say that we’re in the business of “fun and effective” swimming. In fact, I wrote a whole book about creating “fun and effective swim games.” Through our swim …

Swim Drill – Breaststroke Under Lane Lines

October 22, 2014July 1, 2014 by Jeff N

Swim Drill – Breaststroke Under Lane Lines

Need a great drill for your advanced swimmers for Breaststroke?

This is an excellent drill to focus on getting into the Line, or completing the kick and extending into streamline.

Swim Drill – Three Flips Drill

November 7, 2014May 20, 2014 by Jeff N

3 flips activity for swim practice

How to teach Beginners to Flip Turn

October 25, 2017April 1, 2014 by Jeff N

Competitive swimming training is usually done in a swim pool, and that means endless laps! Every time we get to the wall, the most efficient and fast way to turn around and continue swimming is the Flip Turn. Lets break it down into 5 steps: The approach The Flip The plant Take-off Streamline What we …

Swimming Game – Champion Swimmer

November 6, 2014January 23, 2014 by Jeff N

Advanced swimmer game: Have each lane pick one “champion” that will participate. Do not tell the swimmers what stroke or activity they will be doing. After each lane has chosen a Champion, tell them what they will do. EXAMPLE: Champions must swim a 50 Freestyle with flip turn and correct streamline. If the champion passes …

Swim Drill – Butterfly continued with Water Drills

November 18, 2014December 13, 2013 by Jeff N

Butterfly continued with Water Drills Head Lead Body Undulation– Arms In the Saddles. Grow the Neck, keep the ribs down, the bellybutton in and up, and the shoulders away from the ears. Do not kick or use legs. Press the Lungs slightly down into the water and let the energy flow through the body. Head …

Swim Drill – Butterfly continued with Land Exercises and Vertical Drills

November 18, 2014December 10, 2013 by Jeff N

Butterfly continued with Land Exercises and Vertical Drills Land Exercises: Angel Drill-This is a drill to overstress the muscle tissue needed for Recovery in The Line. Lay prone with arms folded and the forehead on the hands. Press the chest and hips into the mat, and suck the bellybutton in. Extend arms, keeping the forehead …

Swim Drill – Butterfly

November 18, 2014December 6, 2013 by Jeff N

Butterfly Butterfly is a Short Axis Stroke and the Power comes from Rhythm especially Rhythm in Front. We must first establish The Line by making our spine as long as possible. We then manipulate Posture, Line and Balance slightly above and slightly below the line, manipulating the extended spine by flexing. Caution must be …

Swim Drill – Breaststroke drills continued

November 18, 2014December 3, 2013 by Jeff N

Breaststroke drills continued Triple Kick – Conditioning Drill! 3 kicks per arm cycle. Hold Ttfe Line! Breathe in The Line! Breaststroke Kick on Back – Arms over head, keep hips at The Line and hip angle wide open, drop heels towards the bottom of the pool. Don’t let knees come out of the water (hips …

Swim Drill – Breaststroke with Water Drills continued and Cobra Drills

November 18, 2014November 29, 2013 by Jeff N

Breaststroke with Water Drills continued and Cobra Drills Head Lead Body Undulation – Arms In the Saddles. Grow the Neck, keep the ribs down, the bellybutton in and up, and the shoulders away from the ears. Do not kick or use legs. Press the Lungs slightly down into the water and let the energy flow …

Swim Drill – Breaststroke continued with Land Exercises and Water Drills

November 18, 2014November 26, 2013 by Jeff N

Breaststroke continued with Land Exercises and Water Drills LEGS: When you Slam Hips forward, let the knees bend and the heels will follow along the surface of the water towards the hips. Keep the angle from the shoulders to the knees as open as possible. A common mistake is to try to lift the body …

Swim Drill – Breaststroke

November 18, 2014November 22, 2013 by Jeff N

Breaststroke Breaststroke is a Short Axis Stroke and the Power comes from Rhythm especially Rhythm in Front. We must first establish The Line by making our spine as long as possible. We then manipulate Posture, Line and Balance slightly above and slightly below the line, manipulating the extended spine by flexing. Caution must be taken …

Swim Drill – Backstroke with Water Drills continued

November 7, 2014November 19, 2013 by Jeff N

Backstroke with Water Drills continued Arm Lead with “L” Drill – Positioned on one side, with one arm straight forward and the other arm above the water at the halfway point of the recovery phase. The armpit is the Balance point. Try to Grow the Neck, keep the ribs in, Press the. armpit into the …