Practice Set for Generate Forward Momentum

Skills To Build

• Hold stretched, straight, stable Streamline Position
• Wide recovery arm swing
• Elbow leads, moves forward continuously
• Momentum builds parallel to surface
• High Elbow at Entry
• Continuous, fluid motion, from Exit to Entry to Streamline
• Recovery Arm ‘lifts’ off the torso for a moment, almost weightless
• Have the entry arm be pulled in by gravity
• Have the entry arm slide in without a splash, no waves
• Have Lead Arm hold extended position until Entry
• Slide into your best Streamline Position

You want to feel your Streamline side of the body stretched, straight and stable, while your swing the recovery arm fluidly, without a sense of being rushed to do it because of instability. The more that you use the muscles in your torso to stabilize, the less you need your legs to move around to stabilize.

Choose 2 or 3 of the cues from the lesson to work on today.

Then, for each cue, work through these activities, as far as you can go successfully. Take one cue and work through the list. Then take the next cue and work through the list again, and so on.

Practice Set for Exit and Swing

• 4 rounds for each side, Swing Streamline for 6 seconds (time of comfortable breath hold)
• 4 rounds of ‘4x Swing Switch with pauses’
• 4 rounds of ‘4x Swing Switch without pauses’
• 4 rounds of gradually faster swing, gradually bring forearm out of the water
• 4 rounds of ‘6x whole strokes’ holding the same cue (no breathing)
• 2 rounds of ‘4x whole strokes, Interrupted Breathing, 4x whole strokes’

Practice Set for Entry and Extension

• 4 rounds for each side, Slot To Streamline
• 4 rounds for each side, Swing Streamline to Superman for 6 seconds (time of comfortable breath hold)
• 4 rounds of ‘4 to 6x Swing Switch with pauses’
• 4 rounds of ‘4 to 6x Swing Switch without pauses’
• 4 rounds of gradually faster swing, gradually bring forearm out of the water
• 4 rounds of ‘6 to 8x whole strokes’ holding the same cue (no breathing)
• 2 rounds of ‘4x whole strokes, Interrupted Breathing, 4x whole strokes

Progression From Drill To Whole Stroke

You may follow this progression in Streamline Switch Without Pauses to gradually raise the arm up above the surface (while fingers keep contact) while maintaining the qualities with cues:

• Full (relaxed) forearm is submerged
• Half of forearm is submerged
• Watchband is submerged
• (soft) Fingers are submerged, dragging through the water
• Fingernails are just brushing the surface

As a useful permanent standard, you may keep your fingernails every so lightly brushing the surface during your recovery swing, all the way to entry. I like to call this ‘dragonfly fingertips’, like a dragonfly skimming the surface of a pond.