Training for Butterfly: Seven Special Secrets and Sets

This is the first in a series of four articles of special training sets designed to improve your swimming strokes.

1. BK – SK – FK – SK (Kick Drill)

The trick to great fly kick is to learn to kick with strong, flowing, even power and rhythm in both directions.

Try this drill:
Push off in with your arms by your side. Kick six kicks on your back, rotate to your left side and kick six kicks on your side, then rotate over to your tummy and kick six kicks on your front and rotate over again to your right side for another six kicks.

The aim is to keep a strong, even, flowing kicking movement throughout the drill particularly the first and last kicks after and before you rotate to a new position.

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Speed Development In Swimmers

Total Condition Training

Introduction

Competitive swimming is all about swimming fast, and speed, in conjunction with technique, forms the most precious element of a swimmer’s make-up. Coaches are, after all, dedicated to one task: preparing swimmers to swim their event as fast as possible.

While some swimmers possess a greater degree of natural speed than others, it is clear that a well planned training program should improve swimming speed and competitive performance of all swimmers.

This article examines three approaches to the development of speed in all swimmers and outlines their coaching and scientific rationale. We then introduce the concept of total condition training, which has the aim of maximising both speed and endurance. Several features of this model are discussed in detail and relevant suggestions on developing speed in swimmers are presented.

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Time Management for Swimming Success

Don’t Plan to Fail by Failing to Plan

Swimming successfully is as much about time management as it is about training hard. Fitting in training, schoolwork, rest and recovery and having some time to yourself is a difficult juggling act even for the most committed and dedicated athlete.

One of the toughest things to do when managing your week is to schedule time to do nothing. For most athletes doing nothing is just as demanding as doing the hard training in the pool and gym.
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The Top Ten Technique Tips for Every Swimmer

1. Effective propulsive movements are slow to fast

In swimming, effective propulsive movements are slow to fast.

In Fly, you reach long, feel the water, catch then accelerate through the stroke to recovery. Same in back. Same in breast (arms and legs). Same in free.

It starts with an effective feel on entry and a strong catch then…..throughout the stroke it is acceleration that makes all the difference. Read the rest of this entry »

Testing the Waters: Swimming Tests Part Two

In part one of this article we discussed the basic principles of testing and looked at an example of a test records sheet.

In part two we look at three great swimming tests designed to help you measure your improvement in Speed, Speed-Endurance, and Endurance.

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Testing the Waters: Swimming Tests Part One

Most swimmers want to know the answer to four basic questions:

1. Am I getting fitter?
2. Am I getting faster?
3. Is my technique improving?
4. Will I be able to race well at my next competition?

The best way to answer all these questions is, of course, by “racing”!

Competition results and meet performances give you valuable information on how your program is going and how much you are improving.

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Peaking and Tapering Strategies: Getting it Right the First Time

There’s Harry Potter; there’s Star Wars; there’s Disneyland.

And there’s one other magical and mysterious experience: peaking and tapering swimmers.

But what is peaking and tapering?

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Taking the Next Step: Be Tomorrow’s Swimmer Today

At every stage of their swimming development, swimmers come to hurdles or obstacles. These hurdles and obstacles become goals to overcome and targets for swimmers to achieve.

For example, an obstacle that a swimmer may face early in their career could be the challenge to swim fast enough to qualify to swim at their school, club or regional championships. Once that has been achieved the next goal might be to qualify for Regional championships.
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50 Things all Swimming Coaches Would Love

A wish list of 50 ideas which would brighten the lives of swimming coaches all over the World.

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What Does Ready Feel Like?

Warming up is something all swimmers do to prepare to swim fast.

Why warm up?

From a scientific standpoint we know that an effective warm up:

• Increases body temperature
• Increases heart rate
• Increases blood pressure
• Increases energy producing enzyme activity

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