We’re stepping way back here, to the simplest, yet most important skill in competitive swimming. Coach’s from across the world will say this swimming definition more than any other word, and say it more frequently… Streamline.
Why do it:
Travel farther, faster, with less effort, and initiate a foundation that allows you to build efficient swimming from. While we’ve covered this before, the importance of setting this skill up as a habit can never be overlooked. Pushing off any other way, should feel bad.
How to do it:
1 – Drop down and push off, locking one hand overtop of the other by wrapping the thumb from the top hand around the side of the underneath hand.
2 – Get the hands locked before you leave the wall.
3 – Push off and rotate to your stomach (this is a drill for swimmers to learn how to control the rotation, not a rule of where you’ll rotate to when swimming).
4 – Hold and glide until your body rises to the surface.
How to do it really well (the fine points):
Learning how to control your body is the real goal of this drill. Staying parallel to the surface of the water from fingertips to toes, and having the body rise to the surface IN that line.
Swimmers will focus on staying level, while using small adjustments from the feet. You have to know this scrubs off speed, and should be avoided. It will be better to go off balance than to rely on using the feet to stabilize, until you learn how to use the imperceptible adjustments made with the core to keep you steady.
Stay locked from head to toe, and you’ll be ready to start adding movements that will be more effective.
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