All Strokes - Tow Rope Core Stability

Find MANY more lessons teaching Core Stability here - https://gosw.im/2G7wepT

Teaching the importance of core stability at a young age can open up a new world of opportunities for your swimmers. Making it fun certainly helps.

Why do it:
A stable body line, and the awareness of what a stable body line is, means that the swimmers will create less resistance as they swim which allows the kick and pull to be more productive.

How to do it:
1 - Use a thin, lightweight piece of surgical tubing. Tie a loop at both ends of the tube.
2 - With safety in mind, instruct the swimmer to ALWAYS keep the cord underwater.
3 - Have them grab the cord, and in a streamline position, fall into a flat body line directly on the surface.
4 - Now, they just have to lay there and focus on achieving the most slippery line in the water

How to do it really well (the fine points):
OK, this is where the coach gets a bit of a workout too. Again, with safety in mind.

Notice how the coach holds the cord to the side and underwater while kicking back. When the swimmer releases the wall and starts to glide, the coach reels them in, keeping just enough tension on the cord until the swimmer reaches the wall.

If a swimmer or the coach drops the cord, as long as it’s underwater, it will lose all of its energy upon release and nobody gets hurt.

Notice how the coach holds the cord to the side and underwater while kicking back. When the swimmer releases the wall and starts to glide, the coach reels them in, keeping just enough tension on the cord until the swimmer reaches the wall.

The swimmer then releases the cord, and swims back, focusing on the body line they just created.

Watching swimmers adjust and search for the line is what you want to see. Also, be very aware of the use of the feet as stabilizers. Have them focus on pointing the toes so the stability comes solely from the body, and not from adjustments from the feet.