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Swim Drills for Triathletes
By Brian Olmstead
Key: Learning correct body position
before putting in high mileage
Drills are the key to any early season workout. Most importantly, when
done right they promote the efficient technique that provides the corner
stone to a strong swim leg later in the season.
The following are a list of common drills to help you get to an
efficient position in the water:
PLANK (3x25)
How to do it:
o Hands at your side
o Head in line with spine, maintain sturdy core
o Press chest towards pool bottom
o Breathe by lifting your head straight up
Feel for:
o Butt breaking the water surface when head is down
o Hips dropping when head is up for breath
What it does:
o Gives the feel of good position (high butt) vs. bad position (low hips)
When to use it:
o Beginning of all early season swims
VERTICAL KICK (2 x 30”)
How to do it:
o In deep end, tread water using a flutter kick, keeping hands crossed
over your chest
o Every 5” turn 90 degrees to R, then 90 degrees to L
Feel for:
o Body rotation coming from your hips
o Hips and shoulders moving together
What it does:
o Improve body rotation, maintain coordinated hip/shoulder movement
When to use it:
o Beginning of all early season swims
CORKSCREW (3x 25)
How to do it:
o Same as the Plank, but rather than breathing by lifting your head rotate
your body
Feel for:
o Body rotation coming from your hips
o Hips and shoulders moving together
What it does:
o Improve body rotation, maintain coordinated hip/shoulder movement
When to use it:
o All early season swims, after first two weeks of swimming, stop using
the Plank and replace with the Corkscrew
KICK ON your SIDE or KOS (2x 50)
How to do it:
o Lying on your side with the bottom arm outstretched, reaching for the
far end of the pool as if it’s your last stroke and you’re
reaching for the wall
o Top arm rests on your upper side, hand on thigh
o Straight spine, head in line with spine, goggles splitting the water
surface (one in, one out)
o Strong flutter kick keeps you in position
Feel for:
o High body position in the water
o Hand resting on your hip breaking the surface of the water
o Pressure on your chest/lat
What it does:
Teaches high position in the water, during recovery
When to use it:
o All early season swims, after 2 weeks progress to the drills below
Progression:
o KOS with rotation (KOS for 5 sec., take a stroke and kick on your other
side 5 sec. and stroke, repeat)
o KOS with 3 strokes (KOS for 5 sec, take 3 strokes kick on the opposite
side 5 sec, and repeat)
CATCH UP (2x 50)
How to do it:
o Like the regular free stroke, but keep the lead arm extended until the
recovery arm/hand “catches up” and touches the hand of the
lead arm
Feel for:
o Long, gliding strokes
o Rotation starting at the hips with the shoulders mimicking
o Maintain the KOS position while gliding between strokes
What it does:
o Combine the KOS with the full stroke cycle
o Emphasis on long strokes
When to use it:
o This is a good one to use throughout the season
SINGLE ARM (2x 50)
How to do it:
o Like the regular free stroke, but stroking with only one are, the other
remains straight at your side
o Rotation comes from the hips
o Breathe to the side your are stroking from (if you are pulling with
your right arm, breathe to the right side)
Feel for:
o Differences from one arm to the other
o Body rotation starting from the hips
What it does:
o Puts focus on one arm at a time
When to use it:
o This is a good one to use throughout the season
FIST (2x 50)
How to do it:
o Regular Freestyle stroke, but keep your hands closed in a fist
o Maintain a high elbow position when the stroking hand enters the water
Feel for:
o The pull coming from your arm pit/lat
o Pressure on your forearm rather than your hand
What it does:
o Makes you aware of the surface area you can pull with
o Makes you pull more with the larger back muscles, than shoulder muscles
When to use it:
o This is a good one to use throughout the season
o Try doing sets of 50 hands closed, 50 open, 50 closed, 50 open
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