SwimAtlas Progression Sample

This is what an actual SwimAtlas Progression looks like when you choose a technique mistake to correct:

Head Position During Freestyle Breathing

Many swimmers lift their heads excessively, move them laterally, or simply linger during freestyle breathing, thus slowing their stroke rate and increasing drag. This progression works on improvement in all those areas.

SKILL LEVEL: Foundation

Drill 1: Alligator Breathing

EQUIPMENT: None

TIME/REPS: ~5-10 Minutes

WHY: Fear of drowning is an instinctual response to water partially restricting your airways. This drill works on conditioning the nervous system to accept that water in the mouth is OK.

HOW: In the shallow end of pool, stand, pinch your nose, open your mouth and submerge so that your mouth is partially filled with water. Try to relax and keep breathing. Progress to turning the head sideways and finally, floating on your side (perhaps holding the lane line with one hand) and lightly sculling and/or kicking while still breathing only through half of the mouth.

SWIMMER SHOULD FEEL: Normal breathing with relaxed body. No tension in the shoulders/chest. Breaths not too shallow and not too deep.

LOOK FOR / COMMON MISTAKES: Not having part of the mouth in the water, or submerging completely. Holding breath the whole time while submerged.

Drill 2: Breathing Into The Water

EQUIPMENT: None

TIME/REPS: ~5-10 Minutes, a few 25s once kicking.

WHY: Holding the breath and releasing it into the air after the head turns, delays and alters the stroke. There is simply no time to breathe out into the air.

HOW: In the shallow end of pool, stand, take a breath and submerge. Once under water, start releasing the air slowly through the mouth and nose. Once it’s almost gone give a final puff out and turn the head to breathe in with only half of the mouth out of the water and at least one goggle staying in the water. Progress to lightly sculling and/or kicking on side with one arm up while repeating the same low profile breath on the down arm side.

SWIMMER SHOULD FEEL: Breaths are fast and easy while not disrupting the body line. It should not feel like gasping for air.

LOOK FOR / COMMON MISTAKES: No bubbles under the water. Exhaling all at once. Head turning to much.

Drill 3: Rotating Kick

EQUIPMENT: None

TIME/REPS: ~5-10 Minutes, a few 25s once kicking.

WHY: Learning the correct sequence with head and body rotations. Breath should fit inside the body rotation, otherwise the swimmer is “looking over the shoulder”

HOW: In the shallow end of pool, stand, take a breath and submerge. Once under water, start releasing the air slowly through the mouth and nose. Once it’s almost gone give a final puff out and turn the head to breathe in with only half of the mouth out of the water and at least one goggle staying in the water. Progress to lightly sculling and/or kicking on side with one arm up while repeating the same low profile breath on the down arm side.

SWIMMER SHOULD FEEL: Breaths are fast and easy while not disrupting the body line. It should not feel like gasping for air.

LOOK FOR / COMMON MISTAKES: No bubbles under the water. Head turning to much.