Top Three Swim Drills

Learn how to use "slow arm recovery," "quick catch" and "high swingers" to improve your swim stroke. Active.com is the leading online community for people who want to discover, learn about, share, register for and ultimately participate in activities about which they are passionate. Millions of active individuals visit www.active.com/ each month to search and register online for races, team sports and recreational activities; interact with others who have similar interests; start online training programs; and access nutrition, fitness and training tips.

[@UniverseEarthSpirit]

Wow. I know very little when it comes to swimming styles or drills and I am sure I have terrible form, but I am trying to incorporate swimming into my workout routine and this sounds fantastic! Thank you!

[@mikinyckel439]

Thank you!!

[@RickMartinYouTube]

Thanks for all the tips you provide

[@aaroncmt]

Nice, I'm gonna try this out...thanks for the tips

[@anneshuck]

Excellent explanation of "New School" technique. Nice job Dave.

[@edu816]

Thank you. I am going to use them in my drills. Thank you so much for recording this video. Thanks for teaching me.

[@vwongboi]

A video that helps with my problems on the freestyle stroke.

[@aqbjr]

Thanks a lot for uploading, I usually coach my children, boy 13yrs, girl 12yrs & girl 8yrs old & this video helps improve their techniques. By the way, my two elder children were the swimming champions in their school in elementary division. They are now in 2nd yr & 1st yr high school. God Bless!

[@hobgoblin707]

outstanding video. you explain and name them well. you're also in fantastic health.

[@turneyorama]

Thanks Dave! I miss you all in Boulder. Best, Sam

[@kubajo9031]

Good lessons

[@321ssteeeeeve]

High swingers is how I swim- lol Thanks for posting Mr Scott. I remember you were my idol back in 87

[@bud8883]

thanks for the video, this is helpful

[@musiclover1958]

The Coach is very helpful.

[@danielcercasgarcia994]

thanks a lot, very good and excellent advices. mister Dave Scott have a lot knowledge about to teach

[@nickrobinson2023]

Well explained. It's makes perfect sense.... I think all swimmer should view your tutorial...because in my experience, all good swimmers don't make good teachers. You explain the action to the smallest detail. Thanks for sharing. :) you have helped me immensely.

[@leandersimbajon6884]

This video is old but helpful, found some nice drills

[@dakotapelinpat]

thank u so much

[@pignonefisso]

Did one of Dave's clinics in the early 90s. A superb athlete, of course, but also a great instructor. I still remember many of his tips.

[@videoseeker117]

i like swim thanks 4 the video, i want to learn that tricks and another tricks

[@giorgiobello1]

it's been 3 months I swim everyday, time myself on different distances and write what I do in the pool. I noticed an improvement in my times since I do less lengths but more drills. This is to say that also numbers can confirm that drills are VERY important

[@bronxcheer1484]

Simple explanation = good

[@Acko077]

nice to hear something bout swimming.

[@giorgiobello1]

thanks. I've progressed a lot since my last comment by using the pullbuoy, rubber band and kickboard and side swimming for body alignment and side kicking. Let me know if you happen to come to London ;) ciao scottish!

[@JustBeingRiona]

excellent, i like high swingers, because this is really popular...

[@paulyettercoaching6977]

this is great, thanks!

[@giorgiobello1]

I've started to swim "seriously" 2 months ago (1-2hrs a day, 2-3km) and I think the drills that really helped me improve a lot are: 1) catch-up (it helped me concentrate against overeaching) 2) fist (for high elbow) 3) one-arm (better feel with the water)

[@craigrimmer6627]

Best tips i have heard, thank you. #IM

[@elevengiant]

thabks i would try it

[@almandremenezes5265]

Ate que enfim.,... bem prático...

[@BobGermanovich]

this is good stuff. (i'm not an experienced swimmer). i'm doing the Ocean City Triathlon in open water on September 11, 2011 and hoping not to be fished-out.

[@aqbjr]

Thanks for your comments, I am learning more with you guys to improve my children's technique. Actually, my training before was for a lifesaving/lifeguard hard techniques during my teenage time. I understand that it requires more realiable techniques to acquire more gliding speed for swimming competition.

[@ddyoung]

This is the best way to be a nice swimmer!

[@HectorTorresTricoach]

Awesome!

[@arashhamedi3418]

tonigh was my first experince in pool and my english teacher invited me to learn swim too a twenty five old boy learned he swim and for me first session was full of new things i had thinked the knew should be bent but leatned that dosent make power to move you in water and teacher learned me coorect way .

[@oldschoolleftie]

answering the last two posts - these are drills, exaggerations to achieve a different feel or to achieve a different catch. Not necessarily the way we should swim all of the time but help achieve a specific skill. High swingers - works on shoulder rotation. keep swimming

[@EXPLORADVEN]

So basically, I have to do the quick catch stuff, to improve my freestyle stroke to the level where I want it to be. And ofcourse incorporate breathing out under water, so that I can breath in when mouth is perfectly aligned to breath in. Easier said than done, I know. But few months of practice can make it happen, where I have to avoid using freestyle snorkel altogether. Anyways, in just over a month or so, with body rotation, I have reduced my stroke count from 32-33 to 19-20 in a 25 metre pool and 12 to 6 in the 10 metre width (both cases without breathing while swimming).

[@Bzzzpuk]

The slow arm recovery really is a great great drill. The only thing that's still causing me trouble when doing it is the breathing. It's hard to combing the breathing with the hesitation of the arm.

[@varunkishnani]

i was asked to "cust and 's' with my primary arm and another symeritrical s with the other to gain speed. would the quick catch be same as that... i see i flex my wrist and elbow to cust an S

[@StrokeDoctorSwims]

Any drill can be useful provided you understand it's value, know how to execute it properly, and are aware of unintended negative consequences. The "pause" drill can be useful, just be careful not to tighten the paused hand as it briefly hangs in the air or you'll lock up and become very mechanical. Keep the recovery hand very soft. "High swingers" is probably okay to induce a fluid, non-stop recovery. Emphasis on high elbows, rather than a flowing recovery, can cause a herky jerky recovery.

[@preshx18]

Wow, i think this is the oldest video I saw on youtube. kudos for the effort in 2007. watched in 2019

[@dgdevil]

alritedarlin: Pain the shoulder is a common affliction for swimmers, as Google will show you. It's easily fixed with a small adjustment in your technique. I believe you are pulling with your shoulder, instead of with your forearm. During the recovery, move the elbow up high and think of your forearm as a piece of jelly hanging limply. Experts will tell you more concisely, and drills were certainly help you through the thinking process.

[@whatsup7789]

how would swimming make you taller

[@Smudgersdog]

i'm sorry, but i have to agree with fkordik, i've swum for 15 years and i've coached for 6 at a very high level, my top 3 drills would be: 1) finger skim 2) zip ups 3) catch ups/pull bouy with min strokes/length what is the high arm recovery actually supposed to acheive? if you want the stroke to be most efficient you need your elbow higher than your arm at all times, i can understand the first two, but in my experience the biggest problem is reaching and getting high elbows.

[@uhaish]

breathing is so mainstream

[@juliuscaesar172]

how?

[@demonmik61790]

@TheLeilisa i think it would but not just swimming but training every day. you must be on your growing ages though.

[@Oztrigger5]

@travisdt you will find conflicts between all coaches as stroke technique is not an exact science....comes down to what works/feels right to you

[@afara2000]

I think this technique is suitable for fast freestyle or sprinting. For slower or low energy consumption freestyle, you would be better off with extending arm forward and glide a little before pull. Good examples are TI swimming style or 1500m world champions Sun Yang and Grant Hackett.

[@juandi2570]

Have ya won 6 ironmans? to me these techniques are basic stuff and he's teaching em' very well.

[@zamboana]

Actually, if you look at slo-mo of Popov, Hackett, or Thorpe swimming, what you'll see is a quick catch and pull initiated a little after the recovery hand has passed the head, along with good shoulder and arm rotation. This is precisely the technique that Dave's drills, presented here, help you develop. The fact that chain & pretext don't understand this probably explains why the two of them put together have won 6 fewer Ironman World Championships than Dave Scott. Ahem...

[@TravelAndSuch]

Actually, yes. Swimming does elongate and "stretch out" the muscles.

[@BlickBirry]

Great, thanks ! I'll look pretty ridiculous tomorrow in the pool but who cares ?

[@travisdt]

i thought the fingers should drag along water, not high swinger as he taught. what the conflict in here?

[@videoseeker117]

swing... swing... swing... i like to swim

[@percdann]

@Smudgersdog Yea...but that under the assumption that everyone swims best to one generic form....plus in open water racing high elbow isnt so important....Dave Scott isnt a swimmer as he is an ironman triathlete....its more important to be comfortably able to go over waves and chops in the water then keeping a high elbow...

[@rayd408]

wow i been swimming wrong this whole time no wonder im slow....

[@2013danrazor2015danrazor]

quick! quick! quick! quick,....! QUIT! QUIT! QUIT!

[@theeds123]

You do know he is the ironman world champion dont you? I think he must know a little bit about swimming to achieve that?

[@turkyilmaz1994]

adam olun lan

[@crwnikeboy]

the conflict here is you think you know more than Dave Scott. Stop thinking so much and listen.

[@yangsimon5848]

let me try your drill, thank you first

[@percdann]

@6a6s6d6f If he doesnt know how to swim how has he been a 6 time world champion in a ironman triathlon? That includes 3.8k of swimming....you honestly think you know better then him? Wheres your titles? Or your vids?