Category: Uncategorized

The Guessing Game (For Sprinters)

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

The concept here is similar to yesterday’s post – The Guessing Game. For a sprint or non-freestyle version of the Guessing Game, I like to do 50s, and have the swimmers guess within a 0.2-second range. They also have to be within a certain range (like 4 seconds) from P200. I use the same points system as in the regular Guessing Game.

I actually had a swimmer recently who guessed his 50 time to the one-hundredth of a second exactly on his first one. He was thus done with practice and the rest of his teammates seethed.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

The Guessing Game

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

This set is useful for helping distance freestylers refine a sense of pace.

? x 100 freestyle @ coach’s send off

Continue until you achieve 3 points.

Earn 1 point by guessing your time correctly within .5 seconds
Earn 2 points by guessing your time exactly to the tenth of a second
Earn 3 points by guessing your time exactly to the hundredth of a second

Swimmers may swim whatever speed they wish.

I like to use the Guessing Game during taper, typically at the end of practice. Once a swimmer achieves his three points, he warms down and is done with practice.

Tip: Be sure to turn off your pace clock or have the swimmers turn away from the clock when you send them off. You don’t want them looking at it – there won’t be a pace clock at the meet!

200 Goal Busters

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

Want to swim a great 200 yard race? Try this set to test your speed and build your confidence for your race!

30 x 50 @ 1:00 at P200, all from a push

The goal is to hit P200 every time. Create a goal pace card using this excel spreadsheet. Count how many you make. For an extra challenge, do the 1st 10 @ 1:00, the next 10 @ :50, and the last 10 @ :45 or :40. For competition within the group, have each time made count as a point in the 1st 10, 2 points in the second 10, and 3 points in the final 10. Person with the most points wins, and gets to do the least warm down, pick teams for water polo, or some other motivating reward.

The Cold Mountain Stream

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club

Jump right in. It’ll take your breath away.

B5 = Breathing pattern of once every 5 strokes

Warm up:
20 minutes 100 swim/100 drill/100 kick continuously

Freestyle Pull Set – paddles & buoy (buoy is used only for 300s)
300 B5 @ 3:40/3:50/4:00
2 x 75 @ 1:00 #1 – 25 strong B3/25 NO BREATH/25 strong B3, #2- EZ
300 B5 @ 3:40/3:50/4:00
2 x 50 @ :40 #1- 25 strong B3/25 NO BREATH #2 – EZ
300 B5 @ 3:40/3:50/4:00
2 x 25 @ :20 #1 – 25 NO BREATH #2 -25 ez
300 B5 @ 3:40/3:50/4:00
2 x 50 @ :40 #1- 25 strong B3/25 NO BREATH #2 – EZ
300 B5 @ 3:40/3:50/4:00
2 x 75 @ 1:00 #1 – 25 strong B3/25 NO BREATH/25 strong B3, #2- EZ

100 ez

Mini-Maxi Set – 3 x through
16 x 25 choice @ :30 odd minimum cycle count, even max speed
100 ez @ 2:00

Loosen down 400 freestyle at minimum cycle count

So You Think You’re Pretty Fly?!

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

“And all the girlies say I’m pretty fly for a white guy.” -The Offspring

Just a little set to make your butterfly feel gnarly.

9x through:

300 fly @ 4:30/4:15/4:00 by round
100 no fly ez @ 1:30

Round 1 – the 300 is 3 cycles fly off each wall, then kick the rest of the 25
Round 2 – the 300 is 5 cycles fly off each wall, then drill the rest of the 25
Round 3 – all swim fly, flip the turns to put a little extra zip in your fly

Enjoy!

Feel the Pressure

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff

As depth increases, so does water pressure.  Having a feel for the subtle changes in water pressure can help a swimmer (particularly in fly and free) time the breakout stroke for maximum efficiency.  This set is designed to help a swimmer “feel the surface” from underneath for better breakouts.

6 x 50 @ 1:00 with Stretch-Cordz Long Belt Slider

Swimmers are partnered up.  One person in the water, one on deck pulling them in with the cords.
1st 25 is always steady swim against resistance
#1 and #2 – Active streamline glide (no breath) at ~ 3 feet depth
#3 and #4 – Active streamline glide (no breath) at ~2 feet depth
#5 and #6 – Active streamline glide (no breath) at ~1 foot depth
Rotate partner positions so that each performs set

Swimmers should be encouraged to feel the upward “suck” of the surface as they approach the 1-foot depth.  Noticing this feeling in a racing situation aids in breaking out at the proper depth.

3 x 50 @ 1:00 with Stretch-Cordz Long Belt Slider

Swimmers are partnered up same as before.
1st 25 is always steady swim against resistance
2nd 25 Perform 3+ one-cycle breakouts, diving back under the surface into a streamline each time.  Practice breaking out “on plane” each time.
Rotate partner positions so that each performs set

10 x 25 @ :30

Perform 4+ streamlined dolphin kicks, one breakout cycle, and then dive under the surface and repeat as many times as possible each 25.