Drill Library: Mail Slot Swimming

Understand Why We Do The Drill, :

  • Teaches you to enter the water cleanly as you drive your hand in aggressively
  • Forces you to focus on entering in line with your shoulder, not crossing over your mid line.

How To Do It:

Body Position:

  • Begin to swim regular freestyle.
  • As your hand approaches the entry point, imagine a mail slot positioned in line with your shoulder at about 3/4 of an arms length away from your head (in line with the elbow on your opposite hand).
  • Your goal as your hand enters the water is to get your fingers, palm, wrist, and forearm through this mail slot, in that order.
  • The entry should be clean and create minimal splash as you enter.

The Movement:

  • Begin to swim regular freestyle.
  • As your hand exits out of the water drag (or zip) your thumb up the side of your body, along your rib-cage
  • Once you’ve reached your armpit, gently tickle your finger tips through the top of the water until your hand is about 3/4 of the way out in front of you then spear your hand into the water hard and fast.
  • By 3/4 I mean 3/4 of the way between your shoulder and your hand of the arm that is extended underwater.
  • Continue to alternate from side to side while keeping the transition smooth.

Things To Focus On:

  • It’s ok enter your hand slowly when first learning the drill, however our goal is to be aggressive on the entry. So feel out the mail slot to begin with by all means, but don’t create a habit of this slow soft entry, as soon as you feel like you have established where your mail slot is…
  • Get your elbow up high enough on the recovering arm to help you find the right angle for your your hand, wrist and forearm to enter through the same slot.
  • There should be no bends or breaks between your hand, wrist and forearm as you enter the water. Make it one unit.

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