Why Drills Matter for Improvement
Swimming is one of those sports where small changes can make a huge difference. You might spend hours in the pool each week, but if your technique is off, you are working harder than you need to be. That is where drills come in.
Drills break down the complex motion of swimming into smaller, manageable pieces. They let you focus on one specific part of your stroke without worrying about everything else. Think of them as strength training for your technique. Just like you would not skip leg day at the gym, you should not skip drill work in the pool.
The beauty of drills is that they force you to slow down. When you are swimming at full speed, it is hard to notice what your hand is doing during the catch or whether your hips are rotating properly. Drills give you the space to feel these movements and make adjustments. Over time, these adjustments become automatic, and your regular swimming gets faster and more efficient without you even thinking about it.
Catch-Up Drill
The catch-up drill is a classic for good reason. It teaches you patience and helps you extend your stroke fully. Here is how it works: one arm stays extended in front of you while the other completes a full stroke cycle. Only when the stroking arm returns to the front and touches your extended hand do you switch arms.
This drill forces you to reach forward and glide, which many swimmers forget to do when they are tired or rushing. It also helps you feel the rotation of your body, since you will naturally roll from side to side as you switch arms. If you find yourself sinking or struggling to maintain momentum, focus on a steady kick to keep your hips up.
Start with just a few lengths and gradually increase as you get comfortable. The goal is not speed here. It is about control and awareness.
Single Arm Drill
The single arm drill takes things one step further. Instead of touching hands in front, you keep one arm extended the entire length while the other arm does all the work. This drill is fantastic for isolating each arm and figuring out if one side is weaker or less efficient than the other.
Most swimmers have a dominant side, and single arm drill will expose that quickly. You might notice that breathing is easier on one side or that your catch feels stronger with one hand. That is valuable information. Once you know where the imbalance is, you can spend extra time working on the weaker side.
When you do this drill, keep your non-working arm stretched out in front. Resist the urge to let it drop or drift to the side. Your body should still rotate, and your stroking arm should follow the same path it would during normal swimming.
Fingertip Drag Drill
The fingertip drag drill is all about your recovery phase, the part of the stroke where your arm comes out of the water and moves forward for the next stroke. Many swimmers swing their arms wide or lift their elbows too low during recovery, which wastes energy and throws off their balance.
To do this drill, swim freestyle but drag your fingertips along the surface of the water as your arm recovers. Your elbow should be high, almost like you are unzipping a jacket. Your fingers skim the water lightly, not digging in.
This drill teaches you to keep your recovery relaxed and efficient. It also reinforces the high elbow position, which sets you up for a better catch when your hand enters the water again. If you are struggling to keep your fingertips on the surface, you might be tensing up your shoulders. Try to stay loose and fluid.
Fist Drill
The fist drill is deceptively simple. You swim freestyle with your hands in a fist instead of open. No fingers, no paddles, just your closed hands pulling you through the water.
Without your fingers to help, you are forced to use your forearm and elbow to generate propulsion. This is exactly what you want. Good swimmers do not just pull with their hands. They engage their entire forearm to create a larger surface area and catch more water.
When you open your hands after a length or two of fist swimming, you will immediately feel how much more power you have. Your hands will feel like huge paddles, and you will notice a big difference in your stroke. That heightened awareness is the point. The fist drill helps you realize how much your forearm contributes to each stroke.
Kick on Side Drill
The kick on side drill is one of the best ways to improve your body position and rotation. Lie on your side with one arm extended in front and the other at your side. Your head should be in a neutral position, and you should be looking at the bottom of the pool. Kick steadily to move forward.
This drill forces you to engage your core to stay balanced. If your hips drop or you start to roll onto your stomach or back, it means your core is not doing its job. Focus on keeping a straight line from your head to your toes.
You can add a breathing component by rotating just enough to take a breath every few kicks, then returning to the side position. This mimics the rotation you use during regular freestyle and helps you practice breathing without disrupting your body line.
Sculling Drills
Sculling drills are all about feel. They teach you how to move your hands and forearms through the water to create lift and propulsion. There are several variations, but they all involve small, controlled movements of your hands while you stay mostly stationary in the water.
For a basic scull, extend your arms in front of you just below the surface. Keep your elbows slightly bent and move your hands in and out in a figure-eight pattern. Your palms should be angled slightly to catch the water, and you should feel pressure on your hands and forearms.
You can scull at different positions: at your hips, at your chest, or in front of your head. Each position works a different part of the stroke. Sculling at the hips helps with your finish, while sculling in front helps with the catch.
Sculling drills are not flashy, and they can feel frustrating at first. But they are incredibly effective at developing water sensitivity, which is the foundation of efficient swimming.
Breathing Drills
Breathing is one of the trickiest parts of freestyle, especially for newer swimmers. Breathing drills help you find a rhythm and stay relaxed even when you are working hard.
One simple drill is to practice breathing every three strokes, also known as bilateral breathing. This helps you balance your stroke and become comfortable breathing on both sides. If you always breathe to the same side, you might develop a lopsided stroke or tight neck muscles.
Another useful drill is to swim a length while focusing only on exhaling underwater. Many swimmers hold their breath, which makes them feel panicked when they turn to breathe. If you get in the habit of exhaling steadily through your nose or mouth while your face is in the water, breathing becomes much easier.
You can also practice breathing in different patterns, like every two strokes, every four strokes, or even every five. Mixing it up keeps your breathing flexible and helps you adapt to different speeds and effort levels.
How to Incorporate Drills Into Workouts
Drills are most effective when they are woven into your regular training, not treated as a separate chore. A good approach is to start each swim session with 10 to 15 minutes of drill work as part of your warmup. This gets your technique dialed in before you move on to harder sets.
You can also use drills as active recovery between intense intervals. For example, after a hard 200-meter effort, swim an easy 50 meters of catch-up drill. This keeps you moving without adding fatigue, and it reinforces good habits even when you are tired.
Another option is to dedicate one workout per week entirely to drills and technique. This gives you time to really focus on the details without worrying about hitting pace goals or completing a certain volume. These technique-focused sessions might not feel as satisfying as a hard interval workout, but they pay off in the long run.
Whatever approach you choose, consistency is key. Doing a little bit of drill work every session is better than doing a lot once in a while.
Drill Progression for Beginners to Advanced
If you are new to drills, start simple. The catch-up drill and fingertip drag drill are great entry points because they do not require a lot of coordination or water sense. Spend a few weeks getting comfortable with these before moving on to more challenging drills like single arm or fist swimming.
As you improve, you can start combining drills or adding variations. For example, you might do a length of single arm drill, then switch immediately to regular swimming and try to maintain the same feeling in your stroke. This is called a drill-swim combo, and it is a powerful way to transfer what you learn in drills to your normal swimming.
Advanced swimmers can use drills to fine-tune very specific aspects of their stroke. Maybe you notice that your catch is weak on your left side, so you spend extra time on single arm drill with your left arm. Or maybe you want to improve your finish, so you focus on sculling at the hips. The more experienced you get, the more you can tailor your drill work to your specific needs.
No matter your level, the goal is always the same: make your drills purposeful. Do not just go through the motions. Think about what you are trying to improve and pay attention to how your body feels in the water.
Making Drills Count
Drills only work if you do them with intention. It is easy to get bored or distracted, especially if you are doing a lot of slow, repetitive movements. But that is exactly when drills are most valuable. They force you to be present and mindful.
One way to stay engaged is to set a specific goal for each drill session. Maybe you want to focus on your hip rotation, or maybe you want to feel more connection with the water during your catch. Having a clear focus keeps your mind from wandering and makes the time more productive.
It also helps to get feedback. If you can, swim with a coach or a training partner who can watch your stroke and point out areas for improvement. Even better, record yourself on video. Watching your own swimming can be eye-opening. You might think your elbow is high during recovery, but video might show that it is dropping low. That kind of feedback is invaluable.
Finally, be patient. Technique changes take time. You might feel awkward or slow at first, and that is okay. Trust the process. Keep showing up, keep doing the work, and eventually those small improvements will add up to big gains in the water.