Swim drill
6-3-6 Switch
Six kicks on one side, three full freestyle strokes, six kicks on the other side. The strokes connect the rotated positions — practices clean rotation through the pull.
The one cue
“Roll, don't roll over”
The lesson
- 1
Six kicks on one side
Get into the rotated position and hold it there, kicking easy.
- 2
Three strokes across
Swim three strokes to carry you over to the other side.
- 3
Roll, don't roll over
Those three strokes stay rotated. Swimming them flat defeats the drill.
- 4
Hips lead the switch
Your hips start the roll and your arm follows. Rotating because your arm is recovering is backwards, and it's why rotation stays weak.
- 5
The test
Arrive in the mirror position and settle before you repeat. Count loosely and keep breathing.
Watch out for
- Three strokes done flat — defeats the rotation focus
- Counting kicks frantically — kick easy and count loose
- Holding breath through the three strokes
Appears in these routines