Looking to improve your technique in the pool? Here is a collection of swimming drills to add to your workouts. Find and register for swimming lessons, classes, clinics, and races near you with our directory of swimming events.
2 Pull Drills for Faster Freestyle
Are you a frustrated back-of-the-pack swimmer? Speed up your freestyle with these drills.
Learning to Swim on Your Side
Swimming freestyle on your side may seem foreign at first, but with consistent practice you'll swim more efficiently. This means faster times and greater energy conservation.
Dance With the Water–Part 4: Tennis Anyone?
Sometimes, improving your grip on the water takes balls--tennis balls. Try this twist on a popular swimming drill and feel your stroke improve almost instantly.
Dance With the Water–Part 3: Rollover Drill
Swimming is all about displacing the water in front of you with your body. Learn how to regulate the pressure you use to move that water with this drill.
Dance With the Water–Part 2: Play Golf
No, this isn't some strange cross-training technique. Find out how a fun game of "golf" can lead to faster swimming.
Developing the Catch & Roll in Free and Back
Here are two drills each for freestyle and backstroke to improve the catch and roll in your stroke.
Common Freestyle Flaws and How to Fix Them
Regardless of your level of proficiency in the water, there's always room for improvement, so even the most talented swimmers can improve by continually tweaking and refining their strokes.
Sculling: The Forgotten Drill
Sculling is arguably one of the most underused swimming drills to increase good feel of the water and improve the initial catch and thrust of all strokes. There are many positions for good sculling.
Use Sculling to Develop Water Sensitivity
Olympians make moving through the water look effortless. They do this by developing and honing their feel for the water. These drills will help you increase your water awareness.
Why Count Strokes?
You may have had coaches that made you count strokes throughout a workout. Here's why it is so important to your continued improvement.
Side-Aligned Balance Drill
One of my favorite "Long-Axis" Drills is what we refer to as the side-aligned balance drill. Basically, you begin at the "T", in a streamlined balanced position, not moving or touching the wall.
A Drill for Each Stroke
Here is a great drill for each stroke--backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle--direct from the University of Georgia swim team.
Structure Drills Into a Beginner's Training Plan
Some swimming novices blindly stick to the idea that technique will improve with conditioning. Structure these two drills into your training plan to improve balance and body position.
Swim Drills to Build Your Negative-splitting Skills
Although it may sound like a painful gymnastics maneuver, negative splitting is a training technique that is simple in theory, but takes discipline and a healthy dose of endurance to execute.
Swim Drills: The Key to Efficiency
Now is the time to perfect your stroke. Add these drills to your workouts to develop your form and become a smoother swimmer.
Kicking Drills for Better Body Position
These four kicking drills will help improve your body position and rotation, thereby making your overall stroke more efficient.
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect: Overhaul Your Swim Technique This Winter
The offseason is the best time to overhaul your swimming technique. The challenge is that drills and yardage without focus are barely worth the effort.
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