WSI class drills

Below are the drills suggested for a WSI class.

Front Crawl (Freestyle) drills:

Activity 1

1. Sit as close to the edge of the pool as possible, letting the legs dangle in the water.

2. Slowly move the feet up and down, keeping the knees straight, but not stiff, and the ankles as loose as possible. Be sensitive to the feeling of the water pressing the toes down as each leg pushes up, because this is the motion that creates propulsion.

3. To heighten the sensation of the action, do it wearing a pair of swim fins.

Activity 2

1. Bracket on the wall by putting one hand on the gutter or edge of the pool and the other hand on the pool wall a foot or so below the surface.

2. Extend the body on the surface, stomach down.

3. Flutter kick, ensuring that the kick originates from the hips so that the heels break the surface and the feet come apart vertically 12 to 16 inches.

4. With the head above water, listen to the turbulence, or lack of it. If splashing can be heard, the kick is too high. If nothing is heard, the kick is too low. Only the heels should break the surface of the water.

Activity 3

1. Extend the left arm under the left ear and the right arm along the right side.

2. Kick in this position with the body rolled one-quarter of a turn to the right side. The face is in the water. Take a breath to the right side, as necessary.

3. Maintain this position while kicking the length of the pool.

4. Repeat the drill but switch arm positions so that the right arm is extended under the right ear and the left arm is along the left side. Kick in this position with the body rolled one-quarter of a turn to the left side.

Activity 4

1. Flutter kick for 25 yards in a streamlined position.

2. Swim 25 yards using the left arm only; the right arm is extended to the front. Breathe as needed on the left side.

3. Swim 25 yards using the right arm only; the left arm is extended to the front. Breathe as needed on the right side.

4. Swim front crawl 25 yards, breathing every third arm pull.

Back Crawl (Backstroke) drills:

Activity 1

1. Hold a kickboard across the stomach, making sure that the head is back and ears are under water.

2. Flutter kick the length of the pool. Glance at the feet and legs occasionally to see that only the toes break the surface—not the whole foot or knees.

3. Remove the kickboard.

4. Extend the arms behind the head in a streamlined position.

5. Flutter kick the length of the pool, glancing at the feet and legs occasionally to see that only the toes break the surface.

Activity 2

1. Float on the back alongside the lane line or rope and reach one hand, elbow extended straight behind the head, to grasp a lane line disc. The other hand may be extended above the head or at the side.

2. Grab the lane line disc, then bend the elbow and pull the lane line or rope along. The hand grasps the disc and slowly pulls the body forward until the disc reaches the thigh and then lets go.

3. Recover with the same arm, grasp the lane line disc again with the same hand and repeat the drill.

4. At the end point, reverse direction and return to the starting point to repeat the drill with the other arm.

Activity 3

1. Swim the back crawl while stroking with the right arm only. The left arm should be along the left side.

2. After 25 yards, alternate arms so that the left arm is stroking and the right arm is along the right side.

Activity 4

1. Flutter kick for 25 yards in a streamlined position.

2. Swim 25 yards using the left arm only; the right arm should be along the side.

3. Swim 25 yards using the right arm only; the left arm should be along the side.

4. Swim back crawl 25 yards.

Breastroke drills:

Activity 1

1. Bracket on the side of the pool, with one hand on the gutter and the other hand flat against the wall and below the surface.

2. Extend the body near the surface and kick. Concentrate on feeling the resistance of the water against the legs and feet. Be sure that the feet do not break the surface.

Activity 2

1. Kick with arms extended in front and the face in the water first with a kickboard and then without a kickboard.

2. Try not to move the hands when the head is lifted for a breath when not using the kickboard.

3. During the power phase of the kick, turn the toes up toward the knees when pointing them out.

4. Glide at the end of the power phase with the legs together. Exhale (blow bubbles) near the end of the glide.

5. Lift the head to breathe.

6. As the head goes back in the water, begin the kick.

7. The pattern is breathe, kick and glide.

Activity 3

1. Lie face down on the pool deck so the gutter or edge of the pool is directly below the shoulders and extend the arms over the water.

2. Begin pulling. The arms should touch the pool wall at the end of each pull.

Activity 4

1. Place a foam noodle under the arms.

2. Swim breaststroke for a designated distance.

Activity 5

1. Perform three breaststroke kicks with arms extended.

2. Perform one complete stroke.

3. Repeat this sequence for a designated distance.

4. Decrease to two kicks and one complete stroke for a designated distance.

5. Swim the complete breaststroke for a designated distance.

Butterfly drills

Activity 1

1. Perform a series of dolphin kicks on front, then on one side, then on the back, then on the other side, then again on front. Arms can be outstretched or at the side.

2. When kicking on the side, travel forward in a straight line. If you are not moving straight ahead, your movement is unbalanced (i.e., kicking down harder than kicking up or vice versa.)

3. Focus on moving up and down so that the kick is balanced.

4. Vary speeds from slow motion to fast forward.

Activity 2

1. Perform the dolphin kick in deep water in a vertical position. Instructor candidates may scull with their arms for balance and support.

2. Kick for 15 seconds, then tread water using any kick for 15 seconds. Repeat for 3 or 4 sequences.

3. Give cues to vary the speed of the kick. To increase the difficulty, have them kick only; do not use the arms.

Activity 3

1. Kick 6 times with arms extended, then do one complete butterfly stroke.

Repeat for a designated distance.

Activity 4

1. Wearing swim fins, swim butterfly stroking with one arm while the opposite arm is extended in front. Breathe to the side. Continue for a designated distance.

2. Switch arms and repeat for a designated distance.

Activity 5

1. Swim butterfly, taking one stroke with the right arm (left arm extended in front), then one stroke with the left arm (right arm extended in front), then one whole stroke.

2. Continue for a designated distance.

Elementary Backstroke drills

Activity 1

1. Put a kickboard under each arm and hang vertically in the water.

2. Perform the elementary backstroke kick and try to kick the body as high out of the water as possible.

Activity 2

1. Get into a back position and extend your arms above the heads and hold the kickboards or hold the kickboards across your chests.

2. Perform the elementary backstroke kick for a designated length.

3. Remove the kickboards and perform the elementary backstroke kick (arms may be extended in the streamlined position or to the side).

4. During the power phase of the kick, think about turning the ankles so that the toes are pointing up and out.

Activity 3

1. Lie on the back with a kickboard across the stomach.

2. Begin kicking. Concentrate on the heels dropping and the feet turning out. There should be a pronounced acceleration at the power phase of each kick. Legs should end up straight and feet should be together.

3. Kick a designated length with as few kicks as possible. Variation: Repeat this drill, but add in the arm stroke.

Activity 4

1. Line up in the water facing the wall. Push off into a back position with the arms at the sides.

2. On the cue word “tickle,” draw the fingers up the sides and drop the heels.

3. On the cue word “T,” extend the arms straight out at shoulder level and begin the leg action of the elementary backstroke kick.

4. On the cue word “touch,” squeeze the arms to the sides and complete the leg action of the elementary backstroke kick.

Sidestroke drills:

Activity 1

1. Bracket on the side of the pool, with one hand on the gutter and the other hand flat against the wall below the surface. The body is in a side-facing position.

2. Extend the body near the surface and kick, concentrating on feeling the squeezing action of the scissors kick.

Activity 2

1. Using two kickboards, one under each arm, hang vertical in the water.

2. Draw legs up under the body, then step out with one leg and back with the other.

3. Squeeze forcefully so that the body comes up out of the water. Be sure that the legs stop when they get side by side and toes are pointed.

4. See who can come up out of the water the highest.

Activity 3

1. Lie on one side, start with the bottom arm extended above the head. The top arm remains resting on the side.

2. Swim the length of the pool using the kick and stroking with the bottom arm.

3. For the return length, lie facing the same direction so that stroking is occurring with the opposite arm.