OverSwitch Practice

By Brian Vande Krol

 

This practice targets skills illustrated in Chapter 5 of the new Easy Freestyle DVD. It begins with practice of drills and rehearsals designed to make your arm recovery more compact and relaxed. This will help channel energy and momentum from recovery forward in a straight line, which corrects common tendencies to swing the arm outside or cross the centerline on entry.

 

For standard rest intervals throughout this practice, do 3 to 5 cleansing breaths or bobs between repeats and rest for a minute or two between rounds and sets.

 

1.    Warm-up

Complete 200 to 300 of any stroke or easy drill.                          

 

2.  Swim 1 x 100 at a comfortable pace, counting strokes. Divide stroke count to get average Strokes per Length (SPL). Do this for 10 minutes. 10 minutes

 

3.  Drill Practice

a.) Skate 2 x 25 with one on right track and the other on the left.

b.) SpearSwitch drilling 3 x 25 and swimming 1 x 25.

c.) Repeat the standing “Draw the Line” rehearsal any number of times.

d.)ZenSwitch (a.k.a. Zipperswitch) do 2 x (3 x 25 Drill, 1 x 25 Swim).

For each drill and swim series, choose any focal point from the Easy Freestyle User’s Manual.                                                         

4.    Swim 1 x 100 comfortable pace, counting strokes with same Focal Points from Drill-Swim series.  Count your strokes again, and compare with initial SPL. 15-18 minutes

 

5.    Main Set

Swim 3 to 4 rounds of:

4 x 50 at fast pace with descending times for each round, holding the same SPL as before.

1 x 200 at cruising pace, holding the same SPL. 25-30 Minutes

 

6.    Swim Golf            

Swim 2 to 3 rounds of:

2 x50 at (n-1) SPL

2 x50 at (n) SPL

2 x50 at (n+1) SPL

2 x50 at (n+2) SPL

2 x50 at (n) SPL

n = SPL from main set (e.g. if SPL was 16, n-2 = 14SPL). 25 minutes

 

Warm Down

Do some easy swimming, drilling, and long axis combo (3 strokes front crawl, 4 strokes back stroke). 10 Minutes

 

 

 

Practice notes:

Goals:

  • Establish wide, relaxed, “on tracks” recovery
  • Test ability to hold stroke count at various speeds and distances
  • Develop range of stroke counts

 

For Section 3 – Drill practice:

  • Skate – One arm extended, other hand on inside of thigh, elbow in ribs – kick across pool – find relaxed, streamline position
  • SpearSwitch – Underwater recovery – imprint streamlined position from skate, patient lead hand, weightshift onto lead hand with each stroke
  • ZenSwitch – recover with crook of elbow above water – elbow moves out to side (not up) for each recovery

 

For Section 5 – 50,200 yard repeats:

  • First 50 should be relaxed and easy, but fast
  • Go faster with each 50  by adding distance per stroke while maintaining stroke count
  • Maintain stroke count for 200, swim at a moderate pace

 

For Section 6 – Swim Golf:

  • Add time (in seconds) for each repeat to stroke count to get your  “golf score”
  • See what stroke count yields your best score