Our training programs may reference the older official freestyle drill sequence represented in the TI Perpetual Motion Freestyle video series, or the newer one in the Ultra Efficient Freestyle video series.
Your ability to hold your chosen SPL and Tempo requires mastery of Balance, Stability, and Streamline skill.
Balance, Stability, and Streamline skill requires imprinting into your neuro-muscular system so that they become automatic.
Imprinting those skills to the point of automasticity requires concentration/focus.
Focus requires an object. That is what Focal Points are for.
Drills simplify movement patterns and slow down time to allow you to focus on some point more easily. Use drills as you need them to improve your attention and control over details of your stroke.
Before you are able to successfully make whole strokes and anytime while taking whole strokes and are having a hard time keeping control over it, that is the time to use drills.
When you are working up to a new level of skill, you will initially spend a majority of your time doing drills, with a little whole stroke work to test it. As your sense of control gets stronger you can increase the amount of whole stroke work you do. In advanced stages of training you may do very little drill work, or use it for Tune-Up before more challenging swims.
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As you pursue this goal of reaching an Optimal SPL and then holding is Consistent over interval you will run into failure of these kinds:
1) You can achieve your SPL goal.
2) You can keep SPL consistent.
3) You can only do so many repeats and then SPL increases.
Use the TI PMF Drills and Focal Points to address these.
#1 – Identify the areas your body that are producing the most unnecessary drag and use the drills and focal points to reduce that drag.
#2 – Use the focal points to identify what specific features of your stroke are changing between a successful length with your chosen SPL and an un-successful length. There is a difference. Find them.
#3 – Use the focal points to identify how your stroke starts to fall apart at that point. And recognize whether it is a failure of your energy, or a failure of your attention that causes your SPL to start increasing. As you reach that threshold you know where to double your effort of attention to maintain the quality of your stroke a little longer than you did the day before.
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