Do this to help keep your legs streamlined behind you, reserving them for running and biking. Moving your center of gravity forward, will provide free lift for your legs so you aren’t dragging them across the lake! Keeping your body streamlined will also provide less resistance.This works great when you want to work on your butterfly too.. 1 ) Push off the wall in tight streamline position, head facing bottom between outstretched arms, arms squeezing head, get as much distance as you can from your fingertips . . . → Read More: Turns help improve swim body-position for triathletes]]> Take advantage of the first three strokes while warming up and working on drills.

Do this to help keep your legs streamlined behind you, reserving them for running and biking. Moving your center of gravity forward, will provide free lift for your legs so you aren’t dragging them across the lake!
Keeping your body streamlined will also provide less resistance.
This works great when you want to work on your butterfly too..
1 ) Push off the wall in tight streamline position, head facing bottom between outstretched arms, arms squeezing head, get as much distance as you can from your fingertips to your toes that are pointed with feet together behind you.
2) As you surface keep one arm stretched forward and take a stroke  with the other until you are back in streamline position (like a catch up drill),
3) Take another stroke the same way until it meets the other in front.
4) On the third stroke take a strong pull and begin normal swim.

Desired Observation: Awareness of where your hand enters, rotation of body, and how soon you start pushing. Desired Outcome: Development of forward balanced reach, body rotation, and early vertical forearm position to maximize the push of water behind you thus moving forward more efficiently.

Equipment needed: Kick Board

Here is a demonstration of the drill from GoSwim.

A little additional thought. When you put your hand under the board let the top of your hand touch the bottom of the board as you reach forward to . . . → Read More: EVF Early Vertical Forearm Drill]]> Many of you have been hearing me talk about an early catch in freestyle.

Desired Observation: Awareness of where your hand enters, rotation of body, and how soon you start pushing.
Desired Outcome: Development of forward balanced reach, body rotation, and early vertical forearm position to maximize the push of water behind you thus moving forward more efficiently.

Equipment needed: Kick Board

Here is a demonstration of the drill from GoSwim.

A little additional thought. When you put your hand under the board let the top of your hand touch the bottom of the board as you reach forward to take a stroke. This gives a little bio-feedback. Make sure you are holding kick-board arm straight.

We have included a new tab “Betsy’s 1 Hr Workouts” above. If you are looking for a workout when you are away or getting some extra swimming in have a look! There is an endless list! Keep in mind this is the workout of a 68 year old so you better keep up! (not many can) Thanks Betsy! Betsy coaches in VA Beach.

Betsy Durant workouts