FROM THE COACHES CORNER 6/25/07
These past two weeks we have been
working on "Specialty Stroke" swims.
SPECIALTY STROKE
Your
specialty stroke is your favorite or best stroke (not including freestyle).
We
all learn how to swim freestyle, but we tend to pick out one favorite stroke,
besides freestyle, to use during practice:
be it backstroke, breast stroke or butterfly.
Upper-level
and year-round swimmers may also swim the "Individual Medley,"
so they will practice all the strokes during practice, often
accentuating their weakest stroke.
STARTS/TURNS & THE DOLPHIN KICK
The
dolphin kick is now used during BOTH starts and turns of all strokes, including
freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and the breast stroke. In breast stroke, however, you are allowed
only one dolphin kick which occurs during the finish of you first underwater
pull. On all other strokes, you may use
the dolphin kick under water for up to 15 yards, before you are required to
take your first pull. For backstroke,
you will use an upside-down dolphin kick on you back. Dolphin kick is used exactly the same way
following the turn for all strokes.
BACKSTROKE STARTS
The
backstroke start begins with both feet on the wall (above the painted cross),
hands (with straight arms) on the backstroke handles of the starting block and
both knees will between the arms. When
the starter announces, "Swimmers, take your marks," you will pull
your head up to your hands, bending your elbows. At the sound of the start, your arms will
travel from the starting block handles out to your sides and around over your
head into the streamlined hand position.
Your rear end will attempt to avoid dragging through the water, arch
your back with chest raised and entering the water, more or less, in a back
dive position. Be sure to look at you
hands upon entry into the water and not at your feet. Once under water, you will begin the dolphin
kick for as long as you can, while looking at your hands in the streamlined
position.
BREASTS STROKE (TIMING)
PLEASE,
PLEASE, PLEASE HOLD YOUR STREAMLINED HANDS IN THE STREAMLINED POSITION FOR 3
SECONDS BEFORE BEGINNING YOUR NEXT PULL.
If you pull too early, you will put the brakes on your stroke. Think, "PULL, KICK, GLIDE, GLIDE, GLIDE;
PULL, KICK, GLIDE, GLIDE, GLIDE; PULL, KICK, GLIDE, GLIDE, GLIDE."
THIS
NEXT WEEK, WE WILL SPEND MORE TIME WITH BOTH "PULL BUOYS" AND
"PULL PADDLES."
Doug Peck, Head Coach
Regency Riptides Swim Team
Daytime: 919-661-0075 (Work)
Evening: 919-889-4893 (Cell)
FROM THE COACHES CORNER 6/11/07
Butterfly Kick Tips
Unlike the flutter kick, during the butterfly (dolphin) kick, your knees and feet will stay together. Both feet kick simultaneously.
The kick begins with the bellybutton. The bellybutton moves forward, then the knees bend, then the hips move back, then the feet kick forward.
During the start and after the turn, keep your dolphin kick going with hands overlapped in the streamlined position for as long as possible. Then begin to add the Butterfly Pull.
Kicking Drills:
On your back, use the dolphin kick with the feet kicking water up out of the pool. This is called "Popping Your Toes."
Dolphin kick on both your right and left sides.
The pull begins from the streamlined (hands overlapped) position. Then the hands separate about shoulder distance apart. From here the hands begin to press down, leaving the elbows up so as to have the use of your forearms. The motion of your arms is in the shape of an hour glass. Hands pull out beyond shoulder distance apart and then pull in to your bellybutton. From the bellybutton, your hands will push straight back finishing your arm stroke with a full triceps press. It is During the Finish of your pull (Not After) that you will lift your head to breathe.
After the Finish of your arm stroke and at the beginning of your arm stroke recovery, tuck your chin down to your chest so that your arms will be able to easily come out of the water. During the arm stroke recovery, lead with your wrists leaving your finger tips and hands pointing back. Hands will enter the water with thumbs down and pinkies up about shoulder distance apart. Hands will not go back to the streamlined position. Only during your start or turn will you hold your hands in the streamlined, overlapped position.
Pull Drills
Single arm Freestyle Pull with Dolphin Kick (Right or Left Side Breathing)
Touch-and-Go Freestyle Pull with Dolphin Kick (Breathing on Both Sides)
Dolphin Dives while practicing the Recovery, leading with the wrists
The Turn
The turn is always done with a two-hand touch, though hands do not have to be level on the wall.
This week we are finishing up SPECIALTY SWIMS (Your favorite stroke excluding Freestyle).
Doug Peck, Head Coach
Regency Riptides Swim Team
Daytime: 919-661-0075 (Work)
Evening: 919-889-4893 (Cell)
FROM THE COACHES CORNER 6/04/07
Body Position Tips
Ears back and under the water.
Chin up with your mouth out
of the water.
Bellybutton sticks out of
the water.
Back Stroke Kick Tips
Flutter Kick.
Knees stay under the
water. If your knees come out of the water, then your bellybutton will
sink under the water.
Feet kick up and down, not
your knees.
Back Stroke Pull Tips
Beginning with your
hand at your pocket, raise your arm (with Thumb Up) to a point directly above
your head. Twist the palm of your hand so that your pinky rotates from bottom
to the top of your pull. Omega (Turn your palm down towards the water)
and roll to the same side as your arm until your pinky ENTERS the
water. Grab some water (CATCH), bend your elbow and push down along your
side (MIDPULL), then FINISH with a palm pushing motion down towards the
bottom of the pool. During the FINISH of your arm stroke, roll
your shoulders to the other side. This occurs as your other arm (OMEGA) ENTERS
the water.
Back Stroke Turn Tips
Using the back stroke flags, take three or four
pulls, then roll on to your stomach. When you roll on to your stomach,
you are allowed only one freestyle pull. Then continue kicking on your
stomach until you are ready to flip your turn. Once you flip your turn,
stay on your back and begin with a flutter kick or dolphin kick until your head
rises to the surface of the water. Then your arm stroke begins.
Doug Peck, Head Coach
Regency Riptides Swim Team
Daytime: 919-661-0075 (Work)
Evening: 919-889-4893 (Cell)
FROM THE COACHES CORNER 5/28/07
Last week we worked hard on
the most difficult of the strokes (because of disqualifications),
It is hard to learn the correct, legal kick, as well as the correct legal pull.
Tips for the Breast Stroke Kick:
From the prone streamline position with toes pointed, draw your knees up under your tummy. Then separate your feet. Then curl your toes up toward your knees. The power for the kick comes from using your in-step of your feet, thrusting your lower legs in a semi-circular motion until your feet come together.
Tips for the Breast Stroke Pull:
From the streamlined position with hands overlapped (like a sandwich), separate your hands until shoulder-width apart. Then flexing your elbows so that your hands are down and elbows up, pull back until your hands are under your armpits. Then with a snapping motion, snap your elbows to your sides, while your hands (palms up) come together under your chin.
It is during this pull and snap that you must lift your head to breathe. Not after the pull and snap.
During the recovery, you want to minimize the drag of your arms moving forward by squeezing your shoulder, arms and elbows as tightly together as you can and thrusting your arms forward until you reach the streamlines position with your hands overlapped (like a sandwich).
Tips for Timing your Pull and Kick:
During the pull, you will draw your knees up under your tummy.
During the snap, you will separate your feet and curl your toes up towards your knees.
During the recovery of your pull, legs will thrust kick around and finish with the feet together and toes pointed.
IT IS IMPERATIVE TO HOLD YOUR STREAMLINED HANDS POSTITION UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF YOUR KICK, WHEN THE FEET COME TOGETHER. If you begin your next pull before the completion of the kick, you will eliminate all the power generated from the kick.
Drills:
Elementary back stroke kick while hugging a kickboard.
Elementary back stroke swim. Remember (Chicken-Airplane-Soldier)
Three kicks, then one pull and breath.
Swim Fins and dolphin kick while practicing the "LUNGE" with your arm stroke followed by the streamlined position.
Feet First (floating on back with feet first, use breast stroke pull)
Under water swim using breast stroke pull and kick.
Doug Peck, Head Coach
Regency Riptides Swim Team
Daytime: 919-661-0075 (Work)
Evening: 919-889-4893 (Cell)
FROM THE COACHES CORNER 5/21/07
Our first week of
practice was devoted to freestyle swimming drills. This week we will be focusing in on Breast
Stroke drills.
First Rule of the
Swim Team: When the coaches talk, no one else talks.
Second Rule of the
Swim Team: When the coaches talk, all eyes are on the coach.
Two basic rules of swimming:
1)
Stay flat
on top of the surface of the water
2)
If you want
to go in one direction, you must push water in the opposite direction
Freestyle Drills:
1)
Flutter
kick on front, back and both right and left sides. (Ear on arm, hand on pocket, and shoulder
turned straight up)
2)
Single
Arm Pull with flutter kick on both right and left sides
3)
Six-Kick
Switch
4)
Hypoxic
three breathing
5 Parts to the Freestyle Pull:
1) Entry
2) Catch
3) Mid-pull
4) Finish
5) Recovery
Doug Peck, Head Coach
Regency Riptides Swim Team
Daytime: 919-661-0075 (Work)
Evening: 919-889-4893 (Cell)