Key technique and training concepts
for Freestyle, Butterfly and IM
By Sean Baker
Head Coach: Oakville Aquatics
When Speaking with Swimmers…use Tabernac
– Taberneush – Merde a lot.
 When giving race instructions, use phrases like,
“Ovret La Fenetre, Ferme La Port, Les Papillon
d’amour”
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« Ce sont les seuls mots que je connais. »
Use for AGE GROUP COACHES. (17&unders)
 All rounded approach. No early event specialty work.
 All age groupers need to have a base of IM and
Distance Freestyle.
 2015 OAK goals of 9 under 9:00scm & 5 under 5:00lcm.
[8:37/8:50.5/8:54/8:56/8:59/9:01/9:05/9:08/9:09]
[4:46/4:54/5:02/ 5:03/5:04/5:04]
 Working in group settings; must use “shotgun” type of
approach with comments/word pictures to “stick”.
 KISS [Keep It Simple Sean].
 OAK Characteristics. Staff training – United delivery.
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Use video whenever possible.
I use Facebook/email to send swimmers video clips or
links to web sites to allow for the kids to view on their
own time.
Use of Iphone/Ipad to video the swimmer.
Increase hydro dynamics.
Decrease Unnecessary movements or drag
Find small ways to allow for small improvements that
are repeated often. The little things add up to mean a
lot.
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Keep sending out the “technique messages” even if they are
not getting it after repeated attempts. You may have to use a
different strategy (how many times have you seen another
coach tell your swimmer to do the same thing but in a different
way & they “get it”? ) You really have to bombard them over
and over again until they do what you want them to do. (and
sometimes it takes more than one season). But…never give up
on them.
In the early season, develop technique through stroke drills
and then relate it to speed. I use MiniMaxi (MM) after a
technique session to find their best efficiency.
Find the point where they can’t hold it any more & then work
those numbers inside sets.
Must be able to do it slowly before they do it fast for extended
periods of time. Then reinforce through LSD (Long Slow
Distance)
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Hydrodynamics ! Reduce Drag
Head-Spine-Line
Rotation - increase power & reduce drag
Centre of Gravity (COG) - body position
Vessel length – Body at its longest = Fastest point
Body position determines flow of water
Levers
Kicking patterns *Teach 6 beat kicking!
Fluid – rhythm - flow
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The Catch – Pull/Push:
Fingertips down, anchor the arm
Fingers slightly inside wrist
Wrist slightly inside elbow
Hand pulls under body
Hand pushes back towards feet
Brush thumb past thigh, accelerate finish
Snap the finish, flick fingers
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The RECOVERY:
Lead the way with the elbow
High elbow, low hand relaxed recovery
Recovery: Hands/fingers point towards the
lane line
Recovery ends with fingertips entering well in
front of shoulder
Fingertip-Wrist-Elbow-Shoulder entry (1-2-3-4)
Keep elbow up !
The High Elbow Catch:
 Determines the quality of the pull for the
remainder of the stroke. Must try to anchor or
plant the hand-arm in the water and drive
backwards (body moves over and forward)
Transfer of Power/Energy:
 Balance the stroke-Transfer power from one
cycle to another. Efficiency/Momentum
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Sample Progression of drills
AAS (Arm At Side) Kick 6K right side 6K left side
(Body Position – Rotation - COG)
AAS Kick 25 RS 25 LS
6BS (One arm up one arm down) *Thumb slightly
down, elbow socket pointed more down to bottom
vs. up to surface
AAS One arm Free
One arm free (resting arm up front)
Double finish
FCUFTS (Full Catch Up Fingertip Skimming)
SSC (Swim and Stroke Count)
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Entry Phase: MM= Stroke Count + Time. Rule of thumb is
+1 stroke for -:01 time. Reduce the total number by
increasing stroke rate with minimal stroke count increase
and descending time (increase in speed).
16x25 @:40 Desc MM #1-4 progressive 4s. Follow with a set
of 8x150 @3:00 [100-Swim Free 50-ST at Best MM double up
+:01 for the turn]
Build Phase: 6x500 Free @7:30 Hold MM SC=/25, Breath 3, 5
UW off each wall, evenly paced.
Attack Phase:
8 round of:
2x100 Free @1:30
Br3, Hold SC=/50
1x100 Fly @2:00
Br2, Hold UW &SC=/50
Split within +:01 and rehearse the back half
16x50 Float start @1:30 Hold UW & SC=/25
Taper: Repeat MM Sets for breakthroughs.
Stroke
Stroke Count
Time
SC Difference
Butterfly
19
:29
-10
Backstroke
26
31
-5
Breaststroke
19
:39
-20
Freestyle
27
:29-:27
-2 / 0
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Undulation profile is low amplitude/high frequency
Entry is in front of shoulders
Recovery is low profile, thumbs down – clean entry
into “Landing Zone”
Small keyhole pull/push NOT fat keyhole
Chest Forward / Bum Up…press with the T
Chin close to surface & pushes towards end of pool
Center of Mass “T”
Timing of the kick
Kick hands through the finish & into Landing Zone
Soft/Patient Hydrodynamic Entry (Centrifugal Force)
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Rhythm and flow
FlabSlab = Float Like a Butterfly Sting Like a
Bee…Muhammed Ali
Easy Speed…How FAST is your EZ? Can you
get to the 150m “on the build” and then
accelerate home?
Check Mark Push Offs in UW breakout
Timing of the approach (No dipsy doodles)
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5.
LCM 8-10x
2x100 Free @1:30 at 1:10-1:15
1x100 Fly BHR Hold UW/SC=/50
20x100 scm @2:00 EOOF Fly
12x50 scm @:50 (*MZ Hold :32.5 / 9sc)
Wt Belt VK with Tempo Trainers
8-10x 3x25 Rhythm @:30
(:14/7)
2x50 Build @1:00 (Double Up) (:29/14)
1x75 FAST @1:30 (Double Up) (:44/21)
100 EZ
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400 IM has been/is the backbone of training for all of my
International swimmers.
[L. van Oosten (4:50s)/T. Van Beilen (4:55l)/E. White(4:23l)/
M. Oldershaw(4:44l)/A. Harrison(4:49l)/M. Darragh(4:20l)/
T. Cieplucha(4:46l)]
FLABSLAB Fly leading into main Backstroke sets.
Back Pulling into Very Hard Breaststroke sets
Breaststroke days every week
Breast efficiency into Freestyle
Freestyle quality. *Evan White :49.5 anchor 2014
Commonwealth Games. :50.9 LTB
Plus single focus days.
Shoe Kicking
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“Float the Fly”, easy on the legs. Get out fast
and easy. (How fast is your easy?)
Build the Back tempo. UW into stroke rate;
crescendo into turn.
I prefer bucket turns in Canada – Suicide
everywhere else. 2013 Spring Trials. DQs are
subjective and you can’t allow for
interpretation.
Breast is critical. Leg dominant back half.
Freestyle distance background to finish
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Butterfly and Freestyle should be very close in
splits.
400 IM – To become International, you really
have to try to have Summer National cuts in all
4 stroke 200s.
UW are becoming more vital in the 400IM as
the event gets better. Some day, someone is
going to go 15m off every wall on every stroke.
The breast to free conversion has the greatest
opportunity to extend a lead or narrow a gap.
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The approach & timing of the Breast-Fee transition
is critical so as to minimize decrease in speed while
accelerating into the fastest portion UW DK .
Breath control and UW FK-DK on the last wall
(200IM) can be the “difference maker”
C:\Users\User\Videos\Evan White\2014TRIALSOAK EVAN WHITE 200IM FNL.MP4
400 IM Finishing kick has to have a solid distance
free background to be able to surge through the
finish.
400 IM:
 10x400
Odds=Free cruise Even Split @6:00
Evens=IM Descend @7:00
 Janet Evans Set
1x200 Free @3:00
+
4x200 IM @3:10 Desc 1-4
1x400 Free @6:00
+
3x200 IM @3:00 Desc 1-3
1x600 Free @9:00
+
2x200 IM @2:40 Desc 1-2
1x800 Free @12:00 +
1x200 IM GO!
*Evan has done this set LCM and finished at 2:09; Tessa 2:24
 4-8x
Dive 3x50 Snowball Fly @1:30 (Easy Speed & Build SR/12.5)
Push 100 Back Fast Neg Split @1:30
Push 3x50 Breast Fast @1:00
100 EZ
Sets can be done all fast or descending in the taper
3-5x150 @2:30 [50-Fly at +2-3 RP 100-Bk Fast]
3-5x250 @4:15 [50-Fly/100 Bk mod/100 Breast]
3-5x350 @6:00 [50/100/100/100 Free
TC Barbados (:32/22 – 1:10 – 1:20 – 1:01
 2000 Timed in 5x400im Continuous
 3x [3x150 Breast 50 Pullout/1P3K/Swim @2:45
[1x100 Free Fast
 4-8x
[4x50 Snowball Backstroke 50s @:50at MM <65
[Push 100 Breast Fast
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1500 IM Bergen Mixer
100 Fr-25 Fly / 100 Fr-25 Back / 100 Fr-25 Breast
75 Fr-50 Fly / 75 Fr-50 Back / 75 Fr-50 Breast
50 Fr-75 Fly / 50 Fr-75 Back / 50 Fr-75 Breast
25 Fr-100 Fly / 25 Fr-100 Back / 25 Fr-100 Breast
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Preparation Camp 3 Weeks out of 2014 Pan Pac Trials…
 Evan White in Barbados LCM: WR split BK/BR= 1:01.62
4 rounds of: [1x50 Fly at 19/:29 @1:00
[Push 1x100 BK/BR Desc rounds from 1:03.5
He did 1:02.8-1:02.4 and finished with a push 50 Free at :25.5
 TC/MZ 2015 Florida Prep Camp;
3x [3x50 BK @1:00
40
39
38
[2x100 BK @2:00
1:20
1:18
1:16
[1x150 BK @3:00
2:00
1:57
1:54
[2x50 Breast @1:00
40
39
38
100 EZ/Round
Tessa Cieplucha / Mabel Zavaros:
 3-4x150@2:30
[50-Fly Mod @+10sc/T + 100 Back desc to rp]
 3-4x250@4:00
[50-Fly/100-Bk Same + 100 Br desc to rp
 3-4x350
[50-Fly/100-Bk/100 Br desc to rp Same + 100 Free
TC=1:10.8/1:21.7/1:03.7
MZ=1:12/1:28/1:04.7
X Rounds of:
[8x25 FLabSlab Fly @:30 + 50 Back Fast]
 16x25 *4 Each Stroke (4@2:00/1:30/1:00/:30)
 Broken 200s + 300 EZ between sets
[Dive 25 Fly FlabSlab
[Push 50 Fly/Back
[Push 50 Bk/Breast
[Push 50 Br/Free
[Finishing Kick 25 BLAST
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