FREESTYLE - POSITION-11 WITH MIRRORS

With a new/old facility, we've tried to make some small adaptations to make sure the swimmers have every opportunity to learn better swimming.

Why do it:
The focus on this drill is to get the swimmer to understand the complete extension of the lead arm, and to drive it forward while maintaining their kick.

How to do it:
1 - Put as many mirrors on the bottom of the pool as you can. We've lined up all six of ours in one lane to give the most viewing opportunity possible.
2 - Use a snorkel if you can, but if not, have the swimmer push off short and swim with the eyes down, not breathing for a few strokes.
3 - Have the swimmer perform Position-11 Freestyle, pausing in Position-11 to see BOTH arms fully extended and straight.
4 - When they take a stroke, have them focus on a continuous kick to DRIVE the non-pulling hand forward.

How to do it really well (the fine points)
Have the time spent in Position-11 reduce, to the point it feels like normal swimming. During this time, tell the swimmers to focus their eyes on the LEAD HAND. Does it push forward more? Does the arm bend or does it stay STRAIGHT?

The IMMEDIATE feedback of the mirrors will save the coach time in explaining concepts, and will empower the athlete to the discovery and feel of what great swimming is.