Reverse Freestyle Drill

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This week’s Speedo Tip of the Week was submitted by Chuck Knoles, head swimming coach of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. Knoles offers a tip for improving your freestyle.

Knoles’ Tip:
One of the best drills I have found in teaching freestyle is actually teaching swimmers to swim it backwards (feet first). Try it...

Tips to follow:

Don't panic. You will go very slowly at first!

Don't kick.

Keep your feet together.

You will have to press down with your chest and face to achieve the correct body position.

Over-the-water recovery is a must with a bent elbow.

Proper head position (head in-line with body) and face looking straight down at the bottom is also one of the rules of backward freestyle.

A 30-second 25-yard backward freestyle is a FAST time.

What you'll learn:

It is a difficult drill to learn, but once learned you will better understand the correct position your body should be in while swimming freestyle forward.

You will better understand why head and body position affect your drag in the water.

You will better understand the concept of sculling, even though it is with the back of your hand.

Using it in a set:

After you have learned the drill, combine it in a set, such as the following: 25-yard reverse free on 40, plus 25 fast free on 30, holding proper body position. Repeat five times.

Or, 25 free drill, plus 25 perfect free, plus 25 reverse free, plus 25 fast free – You pick the intervals.

Increasing Your Speed in Freestyle Turns
Peter Banks, head coach of the Brandon Blue Waves in Brandon, FL, gives us his tip of the week concerning freestyle training. Banks, who is Brooke Bennett’s coach, served as an assistant women’s coach for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team.

Banks' Tip:

It is very important to practice increasing your speed into turn in freestyle training so that your speed will always be fast coming out of turn.