Tri-Trained
  • Home
  • Swimacise
  • Coaching
    • Swim sessions
    • Swim video analysis
    • Swimming drills
    • Open Water Swimming
    • CSS Calculator
    • FTP Calculator
    • Biking
  • Products
  • Articles
  • Downloads
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Swimacise
  • Coaching
    • Swim sessions
    • Swim video analysis
    • Swimming drills
    • Open Water Swimming
    • CSS Calculator
    • FTP Calculator
    • Biking
  • Products
  • Articles
  • Downloads
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us

Tri-Trained Swimming drills

This page includes a Tri-Trained's unique range of drills designed and filmed by us to improve all aspects of your front crawl technique. These drills form part of the swim technique sessions we run in the pool. Watch them, and then practice them with your coach.

New to swimming - 

If you are new to swimming, or are coming back to swimming after a rest period, follow our 4 step approach to understanding the front crawl stroke. Before then working with your coach to fine tune  those small issues  using our individual drills.

Step 1 - Balance

Balance in the water and understanding what affects the balance is a key starting point for your stroke. Front crawl is primarily swum on your side, so the first drill to perfect is kicking on the side. Watch the video and practice until you are comfortable you can hold yourself in a relaxed side kick on both sides.
​
Overhead picture of a swimmer performing a streamline swim drill in Sudbury with Tri-Trained
Side kick swim drill video

Step 2 - Breathing

Breathing is always the most difficult area to perfect, timing is important as if you get it wrong it will throuw out your stroke completely. 
This drill will help you make sure your timing is right and builds from the side kick drill above. Take you time with this and work on both sides by changing the lead arm until you are as comfortable with this as you are with the side kick drill.
Swimmer performing shark fin swim drill in Sudbury with Tri-Trained
Shark fin swim drill video

Step 3 - Rotation

Now you are comfortable with the breathing, we need to introduce rotation into the stroke, an extension on the "Shark Fin" drill, but instead of changing the lead arm each length , you change arms every 5 meters.
Take your time before you progress onto more advanced rotation drills below. Perfect this and you will be well on your way to a relaxed swim stroke.
Underwater image of a swimmer performign a swim drill with fins on in Sudbury with Tri-Trained
Rotate swim drill video

Step 4 - Swim

The final step is to combine all of the above into a complete relaxed stroke. Remember slow the stroke down until you have perfected the technique.
When you are comfortable you are proficient with these drills, its time to spend time with your coach and have them work on the finer points. Let them analyse your technique and then use the drills below to fine tune elements that need improving. Remember humans are not natural swimmers and its not easy for you to correct issues by yourself, so take advantage of your coach to help.
Swimmer performing a dribble swim drill in Sudbury with Tri-Trained
Dribble swim drill video

Individual drills

Use these drills with your coach to fine tune elements of your stroke. Keep an eye on this area as we will be adding additional drills to help with those finer points..

Kick drills

Under water view of a swimmer front crawl kick in Sudbury with Tri-Trained
Underwater swim kick video
Demonstration of a good kick, with key points emphasised.
Swimmer performing a double wide swim kick drill in Sudbury with Tri-Trained
Double wide swim kick video
Improves your kick at a slow pace, giving you time to concentrate on the correct technique.​
Swimmer perforing a streamline kick swim drill in Sudbury with Tri-Trained
Streamline kick video
The first part of every length in the pool, experiment with head position and see how it affects the position of the legs.


Swim drills

Swimmer performing a side kick swim drill in Sudbury with Tri-Trained
Side kick swim drill
This drill helps with balance and the sensation of bing on the side in the pool.
Swimmer performing a shark fin swim drill in Sudbury with Tri-Trained
Shark fin swim drill
A progression from the side kick drill, that introduces the timing for breathing in FC.
Swimmer performing a doggy paddle swim drill in Sudbury with Tri-Trained
Doggy Paddle swim drill
Perfect drill to help with the catch and pull through phase of the stroke
Swimmer performing a dribble swim drill in Sudbury with Tri-trained
Dribble swim drill
Promotes a high elbow on the recovery phase of the stroke, which helps with the correct hand entry.
Picture
Forearm dril
Allows you to feel the front part of the stroke and promotes the use of the forearm as your paddle in the stroke.


Provided by

tri-trained.co.uk, a free service offered by Tri-Trained. Offering advice about triathlon related products and services.
About us >
​Contact us >
Privacy policy >
Terms & conditions >
Website Disclaimer >
Copyright notice >
​Warranty >
  • Home
  • Swimacise
  • Coaching
    • Swim sessions
    • Swim video analysis
    • Swimming drills
    • Open Water Swimming
    • CSS Calculator
    • FTP Calculator
    • Biking
  • Products
  • Articles
  • Downloads
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us