Distance Per Stroke

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Here are three steps to improving distance per stroke, from coach Kile Zeller of Smoky Mountain Aquatic Club:



1. Keep your elbows high. You take fewer strokes per lap if you maintain high quality in each one. To catch the most water with each pull, Zeller instructs his swimmers to focus on the four Hs: hips, hands, high elbows and head position. He reminds those struggling to keep their elbows from collapsing (losing the leverage to pull through the water) to point their fingers directly at the bottom of the pool with each entry—forcing their elbows up.



2. Kick, kick and more kick. According to Zeller, “You’re not in shape until your legs are in shape.” While arm entry gets more attention, it’s your bottom half that can drastically improve stroke count. Building up leg endurance by doing lots of kick yardage makes for a great aerobic base to get through those long events – and a stroke count that doesn’t start increasing as legs get tired.



3. Track those strokes. When it comes to freestyle efficiency, there’s really no better test than counting strokes per lap. During long pace sets, Kile has his swimmers work their minds as well as their bodies by counting arm entry at least a few times throughout each set. After getting an average, try to decrease that number by one. Catch-up drill and Zeller’s progression drill (left) can help. Even during races, counting is worthwhile. An increasing stroke count can give a coach clues to where the racer might be losing efficiency.





Coach Zeller’s progression drill is a sure fire way to increase distance per stroke



Let your arms rest by your side and kick two 25s while focusing on keeping your head aligned with your spine.
Swim the next two 25s while doing 12 kicks per each arm entry. The effect should be an exaggerated, stretched-out stroke. Focus on a dramatic hip rotation with each arm swing.
Complete two more 25s with six kicks per arm entry. While still a longer stroke for most swimmers, this should be much closer to a regular arm pace.
Finally swim the final two 25s with three kicks per arm entry. Don’t forget to count your strokes.
Don’t just swim this set once; repeat it throughout a workout at varied paces. To reinforce a perfect technique while racing, swim the drill at 200 pace or faster. With a little practice, an efficient stroke will become second nature.