Tag: Age Group

IM Sprint Day

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Shawn Anderson, Swim Streamline at Northampton

The IM’s work on sprinting at Race Pace (RP) while the 50 Free drill forces us to focus on head and hand placement when tired.

TAO Drill (Tarzan, Alligator, Olympian) – This is a freestyle drill dividing the 25 yards (1 pool length) into thirds.

  • 1st – Third: Head is up looking straight ahead, hands entering the water at 11 and 1 o’clock
  • 2nd- Third: Head looking straight ahead, nose underwater, the eyes above water, hands entering the water at 11 and 1 o’clock
  • 3rd – Third: Head is down, hands entering the water at 11 and 1 o’clock

The set is done 3x times through, decreasing the 100s by 25 each and 10s off the interval each round. If you need more rest lengthen the 50-EZ interval as we want the swimmer performing the TAO drill when tired to force focus on head and hand placement/control.

Round 1
1×100 Fly RP @ 1:10/1:20/1:30
50-EZ (25xTAO Drill/25 Swim) @ 1:00/1:10

2×100 Back RP @ 1:10/1:20/1:30
50-EZ (25xTAO Drill/25 Swim) @ 1:00/1:10

3×100 Breast RP @ 1:10/1:20/1:30
50-EZ (25xTAO Drill/25 Swim) @ 1:00/1:10

4×100 Free RP @ 1:10/1:20/1:30
50-EZ (25xTAO Drill/25 Swim) @ 1:00/1:10

Round 2
(50 have more time to permit walk back to blocks)
1×75 Fly RP @ 1:00/1:10/1:20
50-EZ (25xTAO Drill/25 Swim) @ 1:10/1:20

2×75 Back RP @ 1:00/1:10/1:20
50-EZ (25xTAO Drill/25 Swim) @ 1:10/1:20

3×75 Breast RP @ 1:00/1:10/1:20
50-EZ (25xTAO Drill/25 Swim) @ 1:10/1:20

4×75 Free RP @ 1:00/1:10/1:20
50-EZ (25xTAO Drill/25 Swim) @ 1:10/1:20

Round 3
1×50 Fly RP @ 50/60/1:10
50-EZ (25xTAO Drill/25 Swim) @ 1:00/1:10

2×50 Back RP @ 50/60/1:10
50-EZ (25xTAO Drill/25 Swim) @ 1:00/1:10

3×50 Breast RP @ 50/60/1:10
50-EZ (25xTAO Drill/25 Swim) @ 1:00/1:10

4×50 Free RP @ 50/60/1:10
50-EZ (25xTAO Drill/25 Swim) @ 1:00/1:10

To make the set more challenging you can:

  • Flip the count on yardage by starting with 50 and work towards 100s
  • Flip the order of the quantity, start with 4×100 Fly and count to 1×100 Free
  • Add another set going down to 25’s


Note: 

This set can be done with age group kids by starting with 75’s and counting down to 25’s and adjusting the time to fit the group.

Age Group Long Axis and Dolphin Kicking

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

This practice was for our group of 10-12 year-olds. We focused on long-axis efficiency and finished with an emphasis on underwater kicking. The “bang bang” refers to a coach tapping a wrench in the side of the pool to indicate when to take a stroke.

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Age Group Speed with Coach Gordon Brown

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Coach Gordon Brown, Head Age Group Coach, Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut

This is another one for my 10-13 year-old swimmers that go 6-days a week for 1-hour & 45-minutes. I included a description of what we talked about prior to each set.

See the FULL WORKOUT IN PDF FORM HERE.

CTAG 100119 workout for Swimming Wizard

See the FULL WORKOUT IN PDF FORM HERE.

Big focus on the first IM & UW FL kick set is replicating the feeling of a 200 IM with 25’s of race plan swims mixed with 25’s UW FL K. We talked about some of the key transitions in the IM before we began the set.

For example, we begin with a 25 UW simulating what they will do off their start and how they should focus on holding their rhythm in butterfly to finish the 50. When they get into backstroke, they need to establish their tempo and make sure they have a great wall leading into breaststroke. This is why we started with BK swim into UW kick. We talked about breaststroke being the make or break part of an IM. Having a strong build to the BR leg of the race really sets up a big finish in free. Starting with UW kick into BR sprint w/flutter kick allows them to really turn on the hand speed. Lastly, we finish with Free sprint establishing tempo right off the wall and finish with UW kick to ensure we have a great last wall. We did this all with fins.

They looked great and were putting down some good speed with the swims and improved their UW 25’s as the set went on.

We finished up the day with a Max VO2 set they will do about every 3 weeks. This was their first attempt at this set this season so they knew they were establishing their baseline times. Since we have a distance meet on Friday and a Long Axis Pentathlon on Saturday we wanted to focus on FR and BK. Everything in the set is all out effort and we mix in a kick distance that rotates by round. To keep it entertaining, I gave them some goal times that allowed them to earn “medals”. As the distance gets longer it is more difficult to earn Gold.

They really enjoyed the “medal” aspect of the set and were definitely going after it!

9-12 LCM Age Group Workout with Mason Makos

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Elaina Jacobs, Mason Makos

This is for our Junior Gold long course swimmers. Combination of very young 9 year olds up to older 12 year olds so different intervals for them. 50 m long course.

Tennis balls is free swim, one in each hand, to work the catch and pull.

“Isolate” set on kick portion is on a board. Leg not being used flutters lightly next to working leg. Let’s them see which is their dominant side.

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Pre-Champs Set with Mason Makos

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Coach Mike Cook, Mason Makos

11-14 year olds as they prepare for JO’s

Meet warm up (about 1500)

Pre set

4x

4×50 kick @1:00 (odds fast/easy)(evens easy fast)

4×25 Major @40 (focus streamline and underwater to 3 fast breakout strokes than easy)

Main set

4×200 free

#1 fast first 50

#2 fast middle 100

#3 fast last 50

#4 RACE

4×100 free with fins

#1 first 25 fast

#2 middle 50 fast

#3 last 50 fast

#4 RACE

*****************

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“Titanic” Kick Set for 10 and Unders

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Max Cristofori, Head Age Group Coach, Swim Atlanta – Midway

10&U Set for [BB-AAAA 10&U’s]

WARM UP AND ENGAGEMENT

1 X 75 2:30

      [25 DOLPHIN DIVES, 25 SCULL, 25 BK/FR COMBO DRILL]

      1 X 25 FL SPRINT 1:00

      [OTB AND FINISH TO THE FEET]

      1 X 75 2:30

      [25 ROTISSERIE DOLPHIN KICK, 25 SL JUMP, 25 BR/FL COMBO DRILL]

      1 X 25 BK SPRINT 1:00

      [GUTTER START + FINISH TO THE FEET]

KICK SET – TITANIC KICK SET

      1 X 100 BK K IN SL 2:15

      [SHIP IS IN ORDER AND ON A LONG JOURNEY]

      2 X 50 BK K IN L POS 1:15

      [1 ARM UP IN THE ARM, OTHER BY THEIR HEAD, SHIP IS RUNNING INTO SOME CHOPPY WATER – URGENCY IS NEEDED IN KICKING]

      4 X 25 BK K IN SAILBOAT :50

      [BOTH ARMS IN STREAMLINE IN THE AIR, SHIP IS SINKING, KICK AS HARD AS POSSIBLE]

      2:00 PUT ON FINS – THE SHIP HAS SUNK

      4 X 25 FL K W SNORK IN SL :35

      [ON THE LIFEBOATS]

      2 X 50 FL K ON RHL/LHL 1:05

      [LOOKING FOR HELP IN BOTH DIRECTIONS]

      1 X 100 FL K ON BK 2:00

      [HELICOPTER SAVES THE DAY]

DRILL SET AND TEACHING POINTS

      [TEACHING TO GET THE PINKY THROUGH THE WATER]

      4 X 25 LONG ARM BK DRILL :45

      4 X 25 SAR/SAL BK :45

      4 X 25 3R3L BK :45

      4 X 25 6K SWITCH BK :40

      [PINKY CHOP!]

      1:00 REST EXPLAIN FLY DRILLS

      [TEACHING THE TIMING OF THE KICK WITH THE ARMS]

      4 X 25 HL BD BEO FLY K :45

      [HEAD LEAD, BODY DOLPHIN, BREATHE EVERY OTHER, 1-2-3-BREATHE ON THE UP KICK]

      4 X 25 POS 11 FLY K :45

      [ARMS IN AN 11 POSITION]

      4 X 25 RA/LA FLY :45

      [RIGHT ARM / LEFT ARM]

      4 X 25 333 FLY :40

      

SWIM SET AND PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

      2X

            6 X 25 FLY/FR :35

            [2+4+5 -> FR, 4 UW BDS THEN 5 CYCLES FLY INTO FREE, THINK OF THE TIMING OF THE KICK FOR THE 5 CYCLES OF FLY – PERFECT!]

            2 X 75 BK 1:30

            [50 STEADY KICK, THEN FOCUSING ON KICKING HARD IN THE LAST 25]

            3 X 50 FR/FLY 1:10

            [25/25 – 2ND 25 FLY TRYING TO WATCH KICKING MOTIONS AND HEAD POSITION]

            1 X 150 BK 3:00

            [NAIL EVERY FLIP TURN, 3-4 BD OFF EACH WALL!]

*********

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Underwater Skills and Speed with 11-12s

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

This is part of a practice I did recently with our top 11-12s. Our main focus was on underwater kicking. Our pool has a black line across the bottom approximately 9 yards from the wall.

For the 1:00 vertical kick and rotate, we were flutter kicking with our arms folded across our chest, performing a 90 degree rotation about every 5 seconds accompanied by my demonstration.

Texas 25 = push off and streamline underwater kick to the black line, flip, 4 underwater kicks, sprint back to the wall, turn, 4 underwater kicks and sprint to the opposite end. Texas 25 = 45 yards (everything is bigger in Texas).

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Awesome Age Group Workout with Coach Gordon Brown

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Gordon Brown, YMCA of Western Connecticut

“Wanted to share what we did tonight with our 10-12 year-old age group qualifiers. Workout attached below. They did a great job and had some really fast swims at the end.”

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Age Group Breaststroke Set with Caradon Swim Club

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Keith Haynes
Head Coach
Caradon Swim Club

Below is a Breaststroke set I ran this evening with my age group swimmers – although I think age group is different in the US, so 11 – 14 year olds. They said they really liked it and that it was easy! Outrageous.

I love doing descending work with this age group, as when it comes to a race situation they really understand the concept of applying more effort throughout a race to maintain speed even though they are getting tired. Just like when we do descending work in training!

Clearly I was too generous with the turnaround times, but I will get them back on Tuesday and Friday. So adjust turnaround times to suit your swimmers capabilities or where they are in their training programme…

1 x 100 as 50 F/S – 50 BK on 2.00

4 x 25 BR/S Descend 1 – 4 to sprint speed on 45

2 x 100 as 50 F/S – 50 BK on 2.00

4 x 50 BR/S Descend 1 – 4 to sprint speed on 1.30

3 x 100 as 50 F/S – 50 BK on 2.00

4 x 75 BR/S Descend 1 – 4 to sprint speed on 2.15

3 x 100 as 50 F/S – 50 BK on 2.00

4 x 50 BR/S Descend 1 – 4 to sprint speed on 1.30

2 x 100 as 50 F/S – 50 BK on 2.00

4 x 25 BR/S Descend 1 – 4 to sprint speed on 45

1 x 100 as 50 F/S – 50 BK on 2.00

Editor’s Note: This set was first published to the blog in June 2014.