350-Cole-Swim Clinic II Expanding your Horizontal Horizons

Email address: out2swim@yahoo.com 350 – Swim Clinic II Expanding your Horizontal Horizons BY BRAD COLE -­‐ out2swim@yahoo.com Freestyle clinic: Introduction to Freestyle presentation will include: Proper body position, kicking, arm stoke and where propulsion comes from. Understanding concept of pressing the "T" and swimming downhill. Most important aspects of freestyle stroke, best drills to enhance and perfect the stroke. Freestyle is a long axis stroke, most important is streamline and rotation. Swum on the side, not the front, power is generated through rotation of the hips and core. Propulsion of stroke is approximately 75% arms, 25% legs. Equipment used: goggles, kickboard and pull buoy. Kick: legs straight but relaxed, feet close together, ankles relaxed, kicking from gluts/hips not knees. Arm stroke: Reach, catch (soft "C"), long arm pull, rotation, thigh touch, high elbow recovery, proper hand/arm entry and repeat. DRILLS: •
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Floating/kicking in streamline Arms at side, shoulder/hip rotation. Side kicking with alternating arms Kickboard and non kickboard catch up Armpit touch Zipper Fingertip drag 6/3/6 rotation Right only, left only Touch backs Fist DPS-­‐distance per stroke Kickboard as pull-­‐buoy Email address: out2swim@yahoo.com Backstroke clinic: Introduction to backstroke: Proper body position, kicking, arm stroke and where propulsion comes from. Showing importance of streamline body position and rotation. Similar to freestyle but pressing the "T" now happens in the middle of the upper-­‐back instead of the breastbone. Head stays stationary, chin slightly tucked while body rotates around head, power is generated through rotation of the hips and core. Equipment used: goggles pull buoy. Kicking: small and fast, kicking up instead of down as the quads are going to generate the most of the power and it id on the upswing the ankle is fully extended. Arm stroke: Arms/hands begin pull at 10 or 2 (1400) o’clock, drive hand deep into water, rotating opposite shoulder up, bend elbow towards pool bottom. Catch, pushing palm towards thigh/feet. Hand begins recovery, thumb leading, arm straight rotating arm and shoulder; little finger enters water first at 10/2. Drills: •
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Side kicking, arm overhead, alternate Single arm RT/LT Fashion model 3-­‐6-­‐3 Lane rope pull "OK" hand entry Around the clock 12, 1 & 2 Arm recovery -­‐ reach rotate enter Breaststroke clinic: Proper body position, kicking, arm stoke and where propulsion comes from. The importance of timing, a strong kick, quick tight arm stroke and finally the glide. Short axis stroke, generating a wave like motion is the driving force (undulation or dolphin like), never flat. Kick: From a glide knees bend towards pool bottom (always), knees in, heels out then whip the feet out and around, extending the legs and slapping the feet together at the end. Arm stroke: Begin pull with a "Y" or "V", elbows bend to 90' and remain high for the catch keeping hands and arms in front of you, scoop out a bowl and recover straight Email address: out2swim@yahoo.com through the middle hands together to full extend and GLIDE. Unlike other strokes kick plays a larger part in propulsion as well as undulation. Drills: •
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Kick only with sculling Three step hand drill, wrist, half pull, full pull. Pull with dolphin kick Two kicks, one pull Kick on back Kick pressed to wall 3 second glide DPS-­‐ distance per stroke Kick back to wall Butterfly stroke The stroke evolved from Breaststroke as it also contains a simultaneous leg action and a simultaneous arm action. The arm action is similar to front crawl as it requires and long pull towards the hips and a high recovery over the water surface. However the butterfly arm technique is more explosive and powerful than front crawl and is of course simultaneous instead of alternating. Email address: out2swim@yahoo.com The leg action for butterfly stroke is a powerful downward kick that originates from the head. The whole body moves in a wave-­‐like dolphin movement that results in a large knee bend and a powerful kick. The power of the kick assists the body to rise out of the water and begin another dolphin like movement. Body Movement Is Key To Butterfly Stroke The undulating action of the body and the legs create great demands of the spine, therefore there are many alternative exercises and practices that can be used to make learning the stroke easier and less physical. Breathing is an explosive exhalation and then inhalation in the short second that the head and face are above the water surface. Buoyancy is very important because the arms are recovered over the water the head is raised to breathe, therefore good floaters will achieve this far easier than poor floaters. The timing and coordination of butterfly is usually a two beat cycle of leg kicks to one arm cycle. One leg kick should have enough power to assist the upper body out and over the water surface and the second leg kick to assist the arms as they recover just over the surface of the water. Drills: Underwater undulation / Dolphin kick X 4 / Single arm pull right, left Single right, left, both.