5 Drills to Improve Your Underwaters: Improving a Key Aspect of Racing
Underwaters are one of the most important parts of a race. That fact is confirmed by watching any elite-level swim. The fastest swimmers stay underwater for an extended period, using strong, powerful kicks to propel themselves farther ahead. Whether it’s that final lap in a 200 butterfly or the first kicks off the dive in a 50 freestyle, a swimmer’s underwaters are a vital part of cutting time and gaining ground.
An article published by The Conversation explains that “the amplitude of the lower body undulation increases from the hips to the feet,” meaning there’s a wave created from a swimmer’s body during underwaters that imitates a “whip-like effect.” This motion pushes swimmers forward more efficiently than surface swimming.
So, how can you train for them? There are several different methods to go about it. Underwaters can be difficult, especially on the last few laps of a long race. It takes energy to hold your breath and endurance to maintain strong, consistent kicks. The best way to ensure your underwaters are race-ready is to train with sets designed specifically for them.
Parachute Training
Resistance training is a tried-and-true method for improving any part of your swimming. When applied to underwaters, it helps develop both strength and endurance. Using a swim parachute adds resistance, forcing your kicks to become more powerful and efficient.
Set:
8 x 25 @ 1:00
Focus on going as far as possible underwater before surfacing.
Increasing Kicks
This drill is straightforward and can be incorporated into nearly any workout. It focuses on improving the number and quality of dolphin kicks off each wall. Fins or paddles can be added.
Set:
4 x 75 “Building Dolphin Kicks”
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Round 1: 4 kicks off each wall
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Round 2: 5 kicks off each wall
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Round 3: 6 kicks off each wall
Kick and Glide Drill
This is a simple but effective way to practice body position and control underwaters. The focus is to stay streamlined and use core-driven motion instead of bending too much at the knees.
Set:
8 x 50 underwater kick-and-glide
After every three dolphin kicks, hold a glide for one body length before starting again.
Underwater Max-Outs
This drill pushes your endurance and helps simulate the fatigue you’ll feel at the end of a race by having you complete many underwaters in a row. Try to have a set number of underwater kicks that you will do for every lap in order to maintain consistency. The more often you push yourself to maintain those kicks, the more natural long underwaters will become.
Set:
10 x 100 @ 2:00
Go as far underwater as possible on each lap, surfacing only when necessary. Count how many kicks you can hold before surfacing and try to increase that number each time you do the set.
No-Breath 25s
This drill may be more difficult, but it will get easier the more you do it and has the potential to improve your endurance with underwaters long term, especially in the back half of races. The set itself is simple, but the goal is to complete the entire lap underwater. It may be helpful to start this set using fins, then transition to no gear, then to eventually lower the interval or increase the overall length of the set.
Set:
8 x 25 @ :40
