SwimSwam thanks SwimmersBest for sponsoring “Drill of the Month.” This is a SwimSwam recurring feature that brings drills and idea submissions from various creative and innovative coaches all over the world.
Ann Arbor, MI has always had a rich swimming culture with the University of Michigan in the center of the town. The university has (literally) walls of olympians it has produced and helped develop over the years, and the program is known for being innovative in the sport. This culture and innovative spirit has trickled down to the club team that practices in the same pool, Club Wolverine. One thing the club does that we at SwimSwam had never seen before is using 1 piece of equipment on one hand and another on the opposite or same side limb.
For example, you would swim while wearing a paddle (or holding a wiffle ball) on your left hand and a fin on your right/left foot. It forces your body to stabilize itself even though it’s off balance in the water, and you get a very good feel for both sides of the water when you can directly compare swimming with a paddle/fin on one side and not having it on the other side. You can do this with any variation of equipment, including:
- Just 1 paddle, no fins
- just 1 paddle, 2 fins
- 2 wiffle balls, 1 fin
- 1 fin, no paddles
- 1 fin, 2 paddles
*It also may to helpful to use a snorkel during this drill, as it will allow you to really focus on engaging the core and getting your feel for the water without having to worry about breathing.
Club Wolverine has been awarded Gold Medal status under USA Swimming’s Club Excellence Program for 5 straight years (2007-11), as well as Level 4 status (highest ranking) under USA Swimming’s Club Recognition Program. CW has received the recognition and earned the respect of the local, state, national and world swimming communities, and CW swimmers and their families are to be congratulated for demonstrating their commitment and hard work that culminated in CW’s many successes.
ABOUT SWIMMERSBEST
SwimmersBest is leading the way for the future of swim training equipment. The company offers a broad range of solutions for improving stroke technique, kick technique, and breathing technique. They provide swimmers, coaches, and teams with the tools they need to balance technique training with conditioning training. By combining the best drills with the best tools, the SwimmersBest products give swimmers instant tactile feedback so they can adjust their technique efficiently. The old way of having coaches constantly remind swimmers of their individual problems has proven to offer very little improvement in technique. All SwimmersBest products are designed to constantly ‘talk to the swimmers’ so they can feel the problems and make corrections. This unique approach means the swimmers are given negative feedback for incorrect stroke technique, which compels the swimmers to quickly correct the problem on their own. With a constant flow of new innovative product designs, SwimmersBest is a company that will continue to deliver solutions you need.
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Swimming gear news courtesy of SwimmersBest, a SwimSwam partner.