In an online forum I’m a part of, a member recently posted this:
“I seem to be getting faster in the pool by just swimming (3 to 4 days a week). No drills, no fancy equipment, just more time in the pool.”
He’s damn right. You can’t beat consistency.
Swimming is one of those sports where you lose feel quickly. One week out of the water takes two weeks to get back.
I got married last month and spent 3 weeks out of the pool. No gym, no running…nothing! Things got ugly when I competed on the weekend without touching the water for so long.
You need to be in the water at least three times a week – there’s no way around it.
So where do drills fit into your program?
I see them as having two purposes.
1. The best way to learn a stroke for swimmers starting with little experience. This is why the Mastering Freestyle program continues to get such great results for swimmers new to the sport.
2. ‘Sharpening The Saw’ – When a swimmer is training consistently and they’re swim fit, often their stroke needs refinement in one or two areas. Specific drills can help them make the technique changes they need to move to the next phase in their swimming. The Effortless Freestyle program was developed for this reason. To help swimmers in the top 20% of their field move to the top 5%.
When you’re consistent with your swimming the refinement of your stroke comes much easier, and that’s where drills come into play.
