This is a great distance freestyle leg kick, squeezing the glutes to raise the legs up relatively straight to generate lift and keep the body streamlined to minimise drag and let the arms do the work.

Use this drill to practice kicking using the glutes to generate lift not necessarily propulsion for a good distance freestyle kick.

A great drill to improve many elements of the stroke at the same time. Here, kick on your side at 90 degrees and face the wall breathing in and out looking to the side. Practice getting the top of your head down to create a better bow wave and get comfortable breathing in air near the water surface with your body and head rotated. Progress to exhaling looking down and forward and turning the head to this position to breathe in.

Use this drill to practice breathing every three strokes using our mantra Bubble Bubble Breathe while standing with arms before attempting it in full stroke.

Use this drill to fix 'arm slip', loosing support of the lead arm when you go to take a breath. Holding the arm out in front of you while you breathe in this drill will help you start to develop better stroke timing. This is for you if you 'take on water' when breathing.

Get relaxed in the water by breathing out your nose and mouth, letting lots of bubbles go. Remember to press the bubbles out your nose a little more forcefully as you resurface and go from water to air to stop the water going up your nose.

Breathe every two strokes, then every three and repeat.

Improve your head position while swimming breathing every 2 strokes to the same side. Rotate your head with your body, keeping the top of your head facing forwards and your bottom eye down to help make the bow wave. This creates a pocket of air which you can then breathe from. Look across the top of the water to your 9 and 3 o'clock and use the pool edge/lane rope as a guide, ensuring its vertical in your vision. You'll know if you're lifting your head too high as you'll see the ceiling!

Breathe every three strokes, then every 5 then back to three etc.

Breathe every three strokes, then every 5, then every 7 etc.

Start with a good streamlined push off the wall and stretch through your core. Rotate onto your side to 90 degrees and practice your good catch set up position. Keep a slight bend in the elbow and your fingertips as wide and deep as your shoulder (good catch set up position). Great drill to improve your posture, catch set up and core stability.

Use a pull buoy to isolate your arms and Agility paddles to help improve your catch mechanics and propulsion of each stroke.

Start in a side kicking position with your lead arm extended slightly bent at the elbow keeping your fingertips lower than your shoulder (great catch set up position if flexibility allows). Switch to the other side by recovering the arm by your side, keeping your focus on entering the hand wider than your shoulder and getting into your good catch set up position. Breathe straight away with the rotation. This drill is perfect for eliminating any crossing over the centre line as your arm enters the water. It will also improve how straight you swim and the initiation of your catch.

In a 45 degree side kicking position, scull your front arm side to side, moving from the elbow, keeping it high at all times. Feel the pressure of the water against your palm. Breathe away from your sculling arm whenever you need to. Go into freestyle breathing away from the sculling arm. Advance this drill using a pull buoy instead of fins for a great core stability work out!

In a side kicking position rotated to 45 degrees catch at the elbow into a vertical forearm position and recover underwater. Breathe away from the catching arm. Go into freestyle breathing away from the catching arm focussing on a bent elbow catch as you breathe. Advance the drill using a pull buoy to improve core stability instead of using the fins to assist you.

Stretch your arm up vertically, relax, bend at the elbow and enter the water cleanly middle finger first. Repeat on the same side, breathing under your arm whenever you need to. Watch what your arm is doing as it recovers and enters to help you improve your awareness of what you're doing and modify it.

Swing your arm as it recovers over the top of the water keeping it as relaxed as possible and maintain a clean finger tips first hand entry. Great to improve your open water arm recovery style and increase shoulder mobility.

Use a pull buoy and scull both arms symmetrically side to side, palms flat (not cupped) with fingers lightly pressed together. Keep your elbows high, wide and forward of your shoulders to help engage your back muscles. Scull side to side fingertips about 20-30cm deep. Go into freestyle breathing minimally to watch your catch or every three strokes to improve stroke symmetry.

Use a pull buoy and sculling paddles. Scull both arms in a good catch set up position: elbows high and wide, pressing the water side to side with your elbows bent and wrist slightly tipped. Head up or down to see what you're doing! Go into freestyle focussing on tipping your wrist as you catch. Great to eliminate any over stretching at the front of the stroke and increase your stroke rate accordingly.

Use a pull buoy and scull both arms symmetrically side to side, palms flat fingers together. Keep your elbows high, wide and slightly forward of your shoulders to engage your back muscles. Go into freestyle breathing minimally to watch your high elbow catch or every three strokes to improve stroke symmetry.