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Single arm swim drills

Catherine JadotCatherine Jadot
in General Training Discussions

Hey Team,

I had surgery to fix my broken arm about a month ago and I'm now allowed to go back in the pool but still not allowed to pull on my it. 

I'm looking for single arm swim drills I could do with my good arm until the surgeon let me us both arms again.

thanks! 

Comments

  • Coach RichCoach Rich

    Sorry to hear about your arm!

    We have swim drills in the Swim Clinic ebook that "could" be done with one arm but I'm not sure how useful they would be? My recommendation would be to swim with one arm, see how everything feels, and go from there? Are you doing physical therapy? I think you resources would be better spent doing rehab exercises with the arm, if you have been given those. 

    I'm moving this thread to the General Discussion forum where more will see it. We likely have someone who's been in a similar situation. 

    Good luck!

  • Catherine JadotCatherine Jadot
    Thanks coach R! Will check the Swim clinic ebook.
    No physical therapy, I try to do everything by myself.

    Have been cleared today to start swimming with both arm but I have to take it EASY says the surgeon... mmmh not sure I can do that image

    Thanks!
  • Keith WickKeith Wick
    I would look at doing body position things of the swim ebook----single arm leads, etc. and then possibly incorporate some of the single side switch (but only on the good side). Fins might be key for you during this time period as you won't over kick to keep afloat, but can still work those drills.
  • William JenksWilliam Jenks
    If you're able to hold your arms in streamline, another thing you could do a bit of is kicking...not so much to get a lot of propulsion in the long run, but to work on body position, perhaps on rotation, and to just get some strength in those funny little muscles, even though you won't do a whole lot of kicking in the race. I've been doing a bit of regular kicking with a swimmer's snorkel, and I feel like it's been worthwhile for me. It's very hard to provide objective data, I will admit, however. Using the snorkel lets me do it in total streamline and forces me not to cheat by pulling to breath.
  • rboglerbogle

    Theres a good catch and timing drill call the UNCO which is one armed. Basically you leave one arm at your side and stroke with the other, but you breath opposite to your stroking arm. Unco is short for uncoordinated, and thats how it feels, but it really illustrates gaps in timing and highlights whatever glide or pause you may have in your stroke. As you get smoother and proficient at the unco, your stroke timing will become much better and rhythmic. It works very well. Just a thought. 

  • RumpoleRumpole

    I am having a hard time visualizing this.  Are you on your side or stomach?  And if you pull right does that mean you breathe left?  (That sounds unpleasant).  

  • rboglerbogle

    Hey Chris, yes stomach: its a freestyle stroke, if its a right pull then breath left. I wouldn't say unpleasant, definitely uncoordinated at first. Forces you to fully rotate in each direction, so you find out fast how unbalanced your stroke really is. Do 25 as drill then flip and do freestyle back. Next lap switch sides. Gives you great feedback on your stroke. Neglected to mention using fins to keep your forward motion comparable to full stroke speed. Check these out:

    http://www.swimsmooth.com/unco-drill.html

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGJGHbUgIfQ

     

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