Freestyle Drill #2 6 kick switch review

6 kick switch Freestyle (Can also be done with 8 or 10 kicks early season or with younger swimmers to slow down the drill and apply more focus)

How to do it?

Body position

• Raise one hand up so that your fingers are pointed at the wall you are swimming towards while your other arm and hand should be at your side

• Angle your body more than 45 degrees and less than 90 degrees with your hip bone (iliac crest) pointing roughly towards the place where the ceiling and wall meet

• Tuck your cheek into the armpit of your extended arm

• Make your body long

The Movement

• Keeping your body in position complete 6 kicks on your right side

• After completing 6 kicks rotate your core to the other side as you do a freestyle stroke and switch the positions of your hands

• When you need to breathe turn your head to the side while keeping your shoulder and body still

• Try to keep your head low with only one ear and one eye coming out the water

Focus:

• Extend in the direction you are swimming in

• Keep your head still especially when you switch

• Drive the rotation starting from the hip; make the rotation snappy. Get aggressive as you switch

What does it improve?

• Teaches you to maintain a straight line from head to heels through the rotation

• Helps you learn to integrate your hips and core into your stroke

• Helps you on your kick and core for balance when you breathe as opposed to your arms

• Promotes a low streamlined breathing position

This video is a RACE CLUB video (some of my favorite swim videos are from this site) demonstrates a full progression of this drill.  It actually demonstrates 3 separate ways to do 6 kick switch. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mBb2djmdv0

The next drill to be reviewed is single arm freestyle or RA LA as we know it