Finger Drag Drill - Freestyle

One point regarding coaching that I cannot stress enough is this.  Coach/correct one thing at a time.

Doesn’t really matter the sport of subject.

I noticed this swimmer was swinging her right arm which tended to move her hips side to side.  Killed the streamlining.

I showed her then had her do the ‘finger tip’ drill. Where one drags the finger tips of the recovering arm along the surface of the water.

This keeps the elbows high and if your rotation is good then it won’t stress your shoulders. 

Another thing that it helps with: makes the swimmer less likely to cross that arm over when entering the water for the pull. She will put the hand straight ahead of her into the water.

As a result this can correct several issues.

The drill is: As you bring your hand out of the water, drag your finger tips along the surface of the water, alongside your body.  So you are dragging your fingertips all the way until you drive your hand into the water for the pull.

Now, this swimmer got the idea of the drill: keeping her elbows high so arms weren't swinging wide.  Got to get her to drag fingers more.

Got an email from this swimmer regarding this bit of coaching,

This from a swim she did a couple of days later:

“Well that was the most comfortable swim ever!!
I tried real hard to focus on bringing my right elbow out of the water.
I was able to comfortably do a fair amount of 4 strokes to 1 breath
instead of 2 strokes to 1 breath. Esp with the buoy between my legs.”