Swimming offers both mental and physical benefits. It's also a relatively low-cost sport, requiring little more than goggles, a cap and swimsuit. To get the most from a workout, have a coach observe you and offer tips. In the absence of a coach on the deck, use some basic drills to improve your technique and swim workout effectiveness.
Break Your Stroke Down
To work on a stroke, break it into its pieces -- kick and arm movement; body position and breathing pattern; and hand placement and pace. Improvement requires focusing on attendant pieces of the stroke individually. You can't improve everything at once, but focusing on drills that work each part provides an effective means of improving your swimming.
Kick Drills
Kick drills don't necessarily require a kickboard. Using a kickboard is fine for socializing when you're in the lane, but it changes the position of your body in the water, dipping your hips lower than usual. To effectively improve your stroke, use the kickboard for your warmup and cool-down, but not for drills. To improve your kick in freestyle, lie on your side with your lower arm extended straight out, about 6 inches below the waterline. Keep your head in alignment with your spine, rotating it up to the surface to breathe. Place your upper arm on your hip, pointing it out of the water. To keep your hips in proper position, just at the surface of the water, press down with your ribs. For backstroke, streamline both arms directly above your head as you kick.
Arm and Hand Placement
Arms and hands are critical to powering your stroke. Remove your hands from your stroke by either using fist gloves or holding them in a fist. This drill forces you to feel the water more with your forearm and improves the effectiveness of your freestyle pull. Swim for either a designated time, such as five minutes, or distance, such as 200 yards; then, with your fists fully closed, swim the same distance with one finger extended, then two -- continuing until your hand is fully involved.
Pace
To make your swim more effective, track your pace. Stroke, count and time -- also known as SCAT -- enables you to challenge yourself and keep tabs on your pace. Swim 50 yards -- typically two laps -- counting the number of strokes and the amount of time it takes. Add those two numbers together. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat. When you first use this drill, set a goal of maintaining the number for the entire series of SCAT laps. As you improve, work to reduce the number as you complete each SCAT.
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