Getting started with swimming can seem intimidating. But the truth is that with a few simple drills and a bit of practice, you can develop the basic skills needed to hit the pool like a pro. Whether you’re hoping to swim competitively or just want an effective workout, mastering the right drills can help you build up strength, improve technique and increase overall efficiency in the water.
From kickboard kicking to catch-up drills, there are a number of techniques that beginners can use to get comfortable in the water. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most popular swimming drills for beginners and why each one is so important.
Read on to learn more about how each drill is done, as well as tips on incorporating them into your own practice sessions.
What are the Benefits of Swimming Drills for Beginners
Swimming is a fantastic form of exercise that offers numerous benefits for both physical and mental health. For beginners, however, it can be difficult to know where to start.
One effective way to improve swimming skills and technique is through swimming drills. Swimming drills are a series of exercises designed to target specific areas of the body and improve specific aspects of technique.
Here, we will try to share some of the benefits of swimming drills for beginners.
Improved Technique
Swimming drills are designed to help beginners improve their technique. Many beginners struggle with maintaining a proper body position in the water, which can lead to inefficient swimming and increased fatigue.
These drills can help improve body position and promote good technique, allowing beginners to swim more efficiently and with less effort.
Increased Endurance
Swimming is a great cardiovascular workout, but it can be challenging for beginners to build up the endurance needed for longer swims. Swimming drills can help beginners build up their endurance gradually.
By starting with shorter distances and increasing the distance over time, beginners can build up their endurance and swim for longer periods of time.
Targeted Muscle Development
Swimming drills can target specific muscle groups, helping beginners to develop strength and endurance in those areas. For example, drills that focus on the arms can help to develop upper body strength, while drills that focus on the legs can help to develop lower body strength. By targeting specific muscle groups, beginners can improve their overall swimming performance.
Increased Confidence
For many beginners, swimming can be an intimidating activity. Swimming drills can help to increase confidence by providing a structured and manageable way to improve swimming skills.
As beginners see progress through the drills, they will gain confidence in their abilities, making swimming a more enjoyable and rewarding experience.
Reduced Risk of Injury
Swimming is a low-impact form of exercise, but beginners can still be at risk of injury if they do not use proper technique. Swimming drills can help to reduce the risk of injury by promoting good technique and proper body alignment.
As beginners improve their technique through the drills, they will be less likely to experience injuries such as shoulder pain or back strain.
Improved Breathing Technique
Many beginners struggle with breathing while swimming, which can lead to fatigue and a decrease in swimming performance. Swimming drills can help to improve breathing techniques by focusing on proper breathing and breath control. As beginners improve their breathing technique through the drills, they will be able to swim more efficiently and for longer periods of time.
Greater Enjoyment
Swimming can be a fun and enjoyable activity, but it can be frustrating for beginners who struggle with technique or endurance. Swimming drills can help to make swimming a more enjoyable experience by providing a structured and achievable way to improve skills.
The beginners can see progress through the drills, they will be more likely to continue swimming and enjoy the benefits of this great form of exercise.
Swimming drills are an effective way for beginners to improve their swimming skills and technique. By targeting specific areas of the body and focusing on specific aspects of technique, beginners can improve their overall swimming performance and enjoy the many benefits of this great form of exercise.
Top 6 Swimming Drills for Beginners
Swimming is a fun and beneficial activity for people of all ages, but it can be intimidating for beginners who are just starting out.
There are plenty of drills that can help beginners improve their technique and build confidence in the water. Here, we will explore some swimming drills that are ideal for beginners.
Kickboard Kicking
When you’re just beginning your swimming journey, kickboard kicking is a great place to start. All you need is a kickboard and a pool, and you can practice one of the most fundamental techniques in swimming. A kickboard provides buoyancy that helps keep the upper body stable while you focus on using your legs to move through the water.
It’s important to remember that proper technique is always more important than how fast or far you can go. When learning how to use a kickboard, start off small and then increase intensity as your technique improves.
Start by lying on your stomach with your arms crossed over chest and holding onto the board, then raise legs slightly from the water and kick them back and forth, keeping them close together.
Concentrate on pushing with straight leg movement, with toes pointed down, focusing on an even tempo. As you progress through this drill, try lifting your hands out of the water for added challenge!
Catch-Up Drill
Catch-up Drill is a great swimming exercise for beginners as it refines and lays the foundation for developing a strong and efficient freestyle stroke. This drill trains you to synchronize and alternate your arms, while remaining aware of the timing of your stroke.
The drill starts with one arm in front, while you reach forward with the other arm. Immediately after extending the arm forward, pull it back to the starting position, while recovering the other arm.
As you repeat this motion, start counting in your head—1-2-3 is a good way to start—so that you can keep track of which arm you’re recovering and then reach out with. Try repeating this drill for at least 10 strokes on each side or until you have perfected the motion.
The Catch-up Drill is perfect if you want to develop an efficient and balanced swimming stroke, using both arms together. It also helps with coordination and becoming more aware of your body’s movements in the water.
One-Arm Drill
If you’re looking for an excellent drill to help build up your arm strength, try the One-Arm Drill. This drill is one of the more popular exercises for beginner swimmers, and it’s a great way to improve your ability to move your arms quickly in the water.
The One-Arm Drill will help you practice focusing on one side at a time, making sure that you can keep your technique consistent between each arm stroke. It also helps you focus on recovering your arm smoothly and quickly, with less drag in the water.
Here’s how it works:
- Start by floating face down in the water. Put your dominant arm up along side your head and extend it fully so that it’s nearly straight out of the water—this is known as the “ready position”.
- Reach forward with your other arm until it’s fully extended, then begin to pull back with that same arm while keeping the other at its ready position.
- As you pull back, use small scissor kicks with each hand in order to maintain movement while keeping yourself afloat as much as possible (otherwise known as flutter kicking).
- Once your hand reaches past your hip (or a point slightly above), switch hands by pushing off with your feet and switching arms in one smooth motion — this is known as “catching” — and continue this same motion until you reach the other side of the pool or finish all reps from either side.
- Make sure to keep each stroke consistent with even pressure for both arms and focus on recovering them quickly for maximum efficiency when swimming!
Sculling Drill
If you’re new to swimming, you may not know what the Sculling drill is. But it’s a great way to work on your technique and efficiency. The main focus of this exercise is the arms, keeping them close to the body and using fine motor movements to move through the water.
It’s a great drill for those looking to improve their overall form and efficiency in the pool.
Here’s how it works:
Position Your Body
Start by floating face down in the water. Make sure both your arms are extended out in front of you and your palms face each other. Your head should also be nearly submerged and facing down toward the bottom of the pool.
Move Your Arms in Small Circles
The key is to make relatively small circular motions with your hands and elbows, keeping them close to your body as you do so. The motion should be initiated from your shoulders, with your elbows slightly bent throughout.
As you make circles with both arms, think about pushing against the water instead of pulling against it; this will help with generating force.
Focus on Rhythm
As you scull through the water, try to keep a steady rhythm and focus on rotating both arms in sync with each other throughout each rep. This drill should eventually help increase your range of motion, core strength and overall efficiency in open-water swims as well as during lap swims in a pool setting.
Fist Drill
The fist drill is one of the most noteworthy swimming drills for beginners. The drill is named accordingly, as you must swim with your hands in a tight fists.
Have you ever thought about how powerful your legs are? Well, this drill will give you a pretty good idea as it forces your legs to do all the work while your arms are in a tight fist.
When performing the fist drill, it’s important that you keep your elbows close to the body and reach forward with each stroke, pushing off from the hips rather than the knees.
It ensures that each stroke is done correctly and helps strengthen the core muscles. The fist drill also encourages swimmers to maintain proper body alignment and helps improve overall technique, meaning that it’s both an effective swimming exercise and a great learning tool for beginners!
Here are a few tips for mastering the fist drill:
- Start by kicking on your back with fists closed
- Gradually increase speed and range of motion
- Aim for straight line rotation throughout each kick cycle
- Do not compromise on perfect technique – even if this means lowering your speed
Tarzan Drill
A great drill for beginners is the Tarzan Drill, and it’s a great way to work on your upper body strength. This drill is done with a kickboard and is about pulling yourself through the water, instead of just pushing along.
The technique involves the swimmer gripping the edges of the kickboard, positioning it to parallel with their body, and then using their arms to pull themselves through the water. This movement helps you focus on your arm recovery and helps strengthen your upper body muscles.
To get even more out of this drill, you can vary which arm is doing the majority of the work each time you pull yourself through the water. This will help you focus on your arm recovery technique even further. It helps you to build up your strength in a more balanced way.
You can also do this drill without a kickboard if you want to challenge yourself even further! The idea is just to work on pulling yourself through the water with alternate arms.
Final Thought
Ultimately, the key to becoming a great swimmer is practice and consistency. Swimming drills for beginners can help those beginners take the first step towards becoming proficient swimmers by building strength and understanding the basic techniques.
As you become more experienced, you can start to add more complex drills into your regimen to further improve your technique, power and endurance. When it comes to swimming, the more you practice, the better you will become. So, get to it.