Not another list of exercises. A framework for choosing the right drills based on observed faults, placing them at the right moment in the session, and making them progress throughout the season.
Most resources on swimming drills offer you a list. Ten drills to improve your freestyle. Fifteen exercises to work on breaststroke. These lists aren't useless, but they answer the wrong question.
The real question isn't "what drills exist?" It's: "how do I choose the right drills for my group, place them at the right moment in the session, and make sure they produce a real technical effect over time?" That's the field coach's question, not the autonomous swimmer's.
A drill is not a physical conditioning exercise. Nor is it a full stroke swum at reduced speed. It is an exercise specifically designed to modify a motor pattern — that is, to correct or consolidate a precise technical movement.
Ernest Maglischo, in his reference work Swimming Fastest (Human Kinetics, 2003), distinguishes three families of drills according to their pedagogical logic:
This distinction is not theoretical. It changes the way you choose your drills. A progression drill isolates a fault. A contrast drill makes the swimmer feel it. An exaggeration drill amplifies it for better correction. Each has its place depending on what you want to achieve.
Before choosing a drill, you need to observe. The coach who distributes drills without having identified a specific fault is wasting time — and wasting their swimmers' time.
Here is where to look first, and what each area tells you about which drills to choose:
The position of the drill in the session largely determines its effectiveness. Doing a drill cold at the start of warm-up is not the same work as at the end of a threshold session.
| Criteria | Position | Objective | Appropriate drill types | Recommended duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | Activate motor patterns, make the swimmer aware of their stroke from the first minutes | Simple progression drills, activation, known routines | 400 to 800 m over 20-30% of warm-up | |
| Dedicated technical block | Work on a specific fault with concentration, away from fatigue | All types — this is the most favorable moment for exaggeration and contrast drills | 800 to 1,500 m, short sets with coach feedback | |
| End of session | Anchor the stroke in a tired body — simulate competition technique | Short contrast drills, technical reminders on freestyle | 200 to 400 m, low intensity |
The dedicated technical block is the most effective format for correcting a fault. It isn't always possible to include one in every session, but try to place one at least once a week, in a low-intensity session.
The amount of technical work is not constant throughout the season. It must follow the logic of periodization: a lot at the start of the season, less during competition.
These blocks are not complete programs. They are illustrations of the drill selection logic a coach uses based on an observed fault, one stroke at a time.
Target fault: elbow dropping at the start of the pull, swimmer "sliding" over the water without catch.
Target fault: flat swimmer, no roll, arms entering across the shoulder line.
Target fault: glide too short, swimmer pulling out before reaching a streamlined position.
Target fault: rigid swimmer, no undulation, arm movement without propulsion.
A drill that remains identical from session to session throughout the entire season is no longer a correction tool. It's a ritual. Swimmers get used to it, execute it mechanically, and gain no further technical benefit.
A drill doesn't progress because you vary it — it progresses because you move your swimmer from one phase to the next.
Isolation
Work on the stroke alone, without speed or overall coordination constraints. This is the learning phase. It can last several weeks depending on the targeted fault.
Integration
Reintegrate the corrected element into the full stroke, first at reduced pace then at normal pace. The contrast drill is particularly effective here.
Confirmation under pressure
Verify that the corrected stroke holds under intensity. Short sets at race pace allow checking whether the automatism is truly installed or falls apart when the swimmer is under pressure.
Maglischo (2003) states this principle clearly: the drill succeeds when the full stroke at race speed resembles what was worked on in technical training — not when the exercise itself is well executed.
How do you know if a drill has fulfilled its role? Film your swimmer before and after a period of 4 to 6 weeks of targeted work on a specific fault. If the video shows a visible improvement, and above all if this improvement is maintained at normal speed, you can move to a maintenance phase or target another fault.
A drill list — any coach can find one in thirty seconds online. What the list doesn't tell you: what to observe in your swimmer before choosing, at what point in the session to place the exercise, and how to know whether it worked six weeks later.
A randomly chosen drill produces random results. A drill chosen to correct something precise, placed at the right moment, followed over four to six weeks — that is what actually changes a swimmer's stroke. That is the difference between a tool and a routine.
No more than two or three distinct technical objectives per session. Beyond that, swimmers no longer know where to focus their attention and no drill is truly worked on. Better to target one fault well with three complementary drills than six drills on six different faults.
Yes, young swimmers benefit even more from technical work than adults, because their motor patterns are still plastic. Prioritize simple, short, fun drills, always followed by an immediate return to full stroke. Avoid drills requiring heavy concentration over more than 25 m for younger swimmers.
The simplest test: have your swimmer swim normally over 25 m before and after the drill block. If you observe an improvement in the freestyle (and not just in the drill itself), the exercise produces a transfer effect. If the freestyle remains the same, change the type of drill or verify that the targeted fault is the right one.
Equipment is an amplifier, not a requirement. Some of the most effective drills require no equipment at all (closed fists, single-arm swimming, side kick). Equipment is useful when you want to create a strong sensory contrast or overload part of the stroke. Not having it is not an obstacle to quality technical work.
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