Training - Partner Swimming

During the holiday season, we all know that hard training is on tap for everyone; however, there should be SOME time for fun.  Now, the trick is to include some fun, in a way that is pretty tough to do.  Partner swimming seems pretty silly, and it is.  Even so, it does have its benefits.

 - Pick up the All-Strokes DVD to learn a bit about everything.

Why Do It:  
Hypoxic training, learning the catch better, working the legs, and working on balance are just some of the things you'll have to key into to accomplish this drill without drinking half the pool.

How to Do It:
1.  Push off the wall just enough to allow your partner to grab your ankles.  The lead swimmer will act as the arms, and the trailing swimmer will act as the legs.
2.  Go through all strokes, IM order if you like, switching who is pulling, and who is kicking on each length.
3.  On butterfly, try to work into a correct rhythm, or... just pull and kick like crazy to keep moving.  The trailing swimmer may not get any air on this one, and learning to stay inline with the head down also limits the resistance you're creating on the water.
4.  On backstroke, it may be good for the kicker to go face down, as it's very difficult to keep your face out of the water while on your back.
5.  Breaststroke will be about minimizing the kick.  Keep the kick small while the puller muscles their way down the pool.
6.  Freestyle is basically... freestyle.  Get to the other end as quickly as you can.

How to Do It Really Well (the Fine Points):
Want to add an additional twist to the mix... put in a 3rd swimmer.  Place a swimmer between the other swimmers and repeat the set.  While we really couldn't find anything "technique oriented" about this part of the drill, it was still fun to watch.

Finally, whenever you have swimmers grabbing onto ankles, it's sure to eventually turn into a good game of leap-frog in the water... which does work on developing a great connection with your pull.