SFAM TRAINING PROGRAMME SFAM TRAINING PROGRAMME

SESSION 16: Freestyle Rotation TECHNICAL POINTS: SESSION 16

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Week 6, 1600m Training Programme - 25m Pool Format Head Lead Kick
Activity Description Rest This should test your body position. Remember to keep a straight line down the back
of your body, from your head through your spine, right to your ankles! You will really
Warm up have to focus on keeping your kick continous.

2 x 100m 50 Freestyle Swim, 50m Choice Swim As

Required Head Lead Kick, Rotation
Take your time as you transition from side to front and vice versa, make sure you are
Main Set kicking through the rotation and smoothly rolling rather than jerking from one posi-
tion to the next. Be careful not to over rotate when kicking on your side, your shoul-
4 x 25m Head Lead 12.5m on right side and 12.5m on the other 20
ders should be in line with each other, with one pointing to the bottom of the pool
kick on side (perform a stroke to switch sides). See technical Seconds
and the other to the ceiling.
points

4 x 25m Head Lead Perform 6 kicks on your right side, 6 kicks on 20
kick, rotate your front and then 6 kicks on your left side and Seconds
repeat.
4 x 50m Freestyle Perform 1 Freestyle stroke landing on your side, in this
position perform 6 kicks, then perform 1 stroke with
6 Kick Rotate
your other arm to land on the other side, where you
will perform 6 kicks again. (Repeat for 25m). Working
on smooth rotations to each side and sneaking your
breaths.
6 Kick Rotate Drill
Swimming involves continous body rotation coming from the shoulders and hips,
this rotation shouldn’t usually exceed a 45° angle to either side. However, for the
20
Seconds purpose of this drill the movement is exaggerated for you to experience the feeling
of kicking on your front and to either side. Kicks must be small, rapid and continous
with only the toes and heels breaking the water surface. Keep your face in the water
as you land on your side and breath during the pull.

2 x 100m Freestyle Focussing on a smooth rotation and keeping As

Full Stroke Smooth kick continous. Required

Cool Down
100m Smooth 50m double armed backstroke, 50m Freestyle As
smooth. Required

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SESSION 17: Freestyle TECHNICAL POINTS: SESSION 17

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Week 6, 1600m Training Programme - 25m Pool Format Front Scull

To find your hand position, place your hands on your cheeks, this forces them into a
Activity Description Rest subtle cupped shape - this is how your hand should look during scull.
To move forward during scull, point your fingers towards the bottom of the pool,
Warm up keeping your wrists stiff, rotate your hands to face inwards and outwards, switch
between in and out continuously – you should feel the resistance of the water
200m Alternating: 50 Freestyle Swim, 50m Backstroke As against your palm - this is sculling! Lay on your front, with your arms extended and
Nice and smooth, stretch out and get your Required hands at shoulder width. From here begin to scull and lightly kick, this position repli-
joints moving! cates the catch.
Main Set
4 x 50m As 25m Front Scull, 25m Full stroke, focussing 20 Catch-up Drill (No Board)
on catch phase of stroke. Seconds
This drill slows down full stroke Freestyle, by introducing a pause at the hand entry
4 x 50m As 25m Catch up (no board), 25m full stroke fo- 20 phase. When your hand hits the surface of the water, keep it there, while your other
cussing on the underwater phase of the stroke. Seconds arm performs a stroke cycle, after this the first arm will perform the next stroke. Make
Make sure to accelerate on the last third of the sure to rotate your hips and shoulders with each stroke (no more than 45° rotation).
Keep kick smooth but continuous throughout.
underwater pull through, so that you are push-
ing past your hip with force!
Tickles Drill
4 x 50m As 25m Tickles drill, 25m Full stroke Freestyle, 20 As we have mentioned before, it is important to keep a high elbow during the
focussing on a high elbow recovery phase of Seconds recovery of Freestyle, as this places your hand and forearm in the correct position for
the stroke. the hand entry and catch. To ensure the high elbow is effective, you must have your
2 x 100m Freestyle Put it all together into full stroke, focussing on 30 hand directly below it, this is what Finger Trail / Tickles teaches you! Think of it as
Seconds tickling your body the whole way through the recovery phase - if you aren’t giggling
Full Stroke Smooth each phase of the stroke.
your hand isn’t touching your body and your elbow isnt high!
#1 Smooth Pace
#2 Moderate Pace Begin by swimming full stroke Freestyle, however, once your hand exits the water
Cool Down behind your hip, you must stick it to your body! From here drag your hand along
2 x 50m Choice stroke or kick, stretch out and bring your As the side of your body / the surface of the water, until it passes your arm-pit. This will
heart rate down! Required ensure your elbow stays high and your hand below it! As always - DON’T FORGET TO
KEEP KICKING!
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SESSION 18: Breaststroke TECHNICAL POINTS: SESSION 18

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Week 6, 1600m Training Programme - 25m Pool Format Breaststroke Kick Introduction
Breaststroke is one of the most difficult strokes to do properly due to the complexity of the
Activity Description Rest timing of stroke and the body position - but lets have a go!
Start in a glide position flat on the water surface, keeping your head, neck, bum and feet in
Warm up line with your ankles and knees together. The first phase of the kick is the recovery:
4 x 75m As 25m Freestyle, 25m Choice, 25m Freestyle As - To recover the legs flex your knees and begin to raise your heels towards your bum. As the
Required heels rise, only allow your knees to spread to around shoulder width apart
Main Set -As the heels approach your bum, your feet should begin to dorsi-flex (toes pull up towards
your shins) and rotate outwards - duck feet! This is known as the catch phase of the kick, as
2 x 25m Slow with good technique - see technical 20 your are getting into a position that allows you to catch the water with your feet to push
Breaststroke Kick points. Seconds against the water - rather than your feet slipping through the water!
with Board -To begin the propulsive phase of the kick (known as the out/ backsweep) push your feet
out and back- but resist the temptation to exagerate this movement i.e frog legs. Think of
2 x 25m Breastsroke Scull when breath is needed 20 it more as a 1/2 moon! You should feel the pressure on the inside of your foot as you push
Kick No Board Seconds against the water.
- Continue to push backward with the inner foot, but now focus on the insweep, begin to
2 x 25m Mid / This position replicates the underwater pull. 20 rotate your dorsi-flexed feet duck feet into a plantar flexed (pointed toes) and inward facing
position, to allow your feet to rise and meet behind you.
Window Wiper Scull Laying on your front allow your hands and Seconds
forearms to sink below your elbows, keeping
your elbows at the surface of the water. Now
Breaststroke Pull Technique
Starting in the same glide position as before, the first phase of Breaststroke pull is the
begin to scull in a wider and deeper fashion outsweep and it is all to do with the angle of your hands - remember the mid scull position
than the front scull, almost like a window during this task!
wiper! - Pivot your hands downand and slightly outward (45 degree angle)
2 x 25m Focussing on each phase of the pull. As - Now perform the outsweep by pushing the palms out to around should width
- From this position we perform the catch, to do this scull your hands round so they move
Breaststroke arms Required
from an outward facing position to a slightly inward facing one (45 degree)
with Freestyle Legs - From here we perform the down/insweep:
- Keeping your elbows close to the water surface (like during the mid scull), begin pushing
Cool Down your hands and forearms down and inwards into the water until your hands meet beneath
100m Smooth 50m double armed backstroke, 50m Freestyle As your chest - remember to squeeze your elbows into your ribs here to encourgae your hands
smooth. Required to meet in the middle.
- Once your hands meet move them forward just below the water surface until your arms
are back to full extension ready for the next cycle
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