SOTW Focus Points and Stroke Count

WARMUP:  400 (or 10 minutes) on your own

WARMUP SET: 200
4 X 50 freestyle, but start each 50 with a tight streamline and 360 streamline rotation (OK to flutter kick as you rotate)

MAIN SET #1:  1000
Swim 20 X 50 using the following focus points.  (Do 2 X 50 of each focus point.)  It’s OK to wear fins for some or all of this.  Focus on only ONE thing at a time.  And, coaches, watch for ONLY the thing the swimmers are trying to do.  Makes everybody happier:)  All 50s are freestyle unless otherwise noted.

#1:  Keep one goggle in the water as you breathe (look under the landline or to the rear as you breathe)
#2:  Swim with the hips high in the water (lean in on the chest to achieve this)
#3:  Think about hiding your body behind your extended hand (swim through a narrow tube)
#4:  Reach full extension! (Keep lead arm extended and near the surface during the breath.)
#5:  Swim as quietly as you can (minimize the splash from your kick, hand entry, and breathing); choice of stroke
#6:  Cycle through 3 strokes of fingertip drag, 3 strokes with a high-elbow recovery, and 3 strokes with a straight-arm recovery.  Coach should be able to tell the difference as you swim!
#7:  Keep one goggle in the water as you breathe (it’s so important, it’s worth another 2 X 50:)
#8:  Focus on pinky-first hand exit (finish each pull)
#9:  Focus on achieving a high-elbow catch and pulling with the palm and forearm
#10:  Pick the focus point that worked best for you and do it again.  See if Coach can guess what you’re working on.  Count your strokes per length on these two 50s.

MAIN SET #2:  800
Take your average stroke count from the previous set and call it “N.”  Now do the following set:
Swim four times through the following (12 X 25 total):
1 X 25 @ N minus 2 strokes
1 X 25 @ N minus 1 stroke
1 X 25 @ N

Then…
4 X 75, taking N-2 on 1st length, N-1 on 2nd length, N on 3rd length
4 X 50; each 50 is 25 @ N + 25 @ N plus 1

WARM DOWN:  100 easy