SWIMMING TIPS | How to improve your body rotation in the water by Liz Blatchford (2)

Rotating the body correctly while swimming is difficult for triathletes who are not natural swimmers and who have more difficulty keeping their lower body aligned with the rest of the body.

As with previous posts, Liz Blatchford will show us how she trains for balance and body rotation to avoid this rigidity with three basic drills, which require fins and a snorkel.

1. Back Rotation Kick 

The first drill consist of rotating on your back. To do this, just use the fins and keep your arms still at your sides, moving forward with just the movement of your legs. As you move forward, first take one shoulder of the water, and then the other, successively as shown in the photos.

2. Front Rotation Kick (6 kick roll)

For the next drill, you will be using the snorkel since your body will be facing down and moving forward the same way that you would while swimming freestyle. Again, your arms are going to be still at your sides and you will rotate by pulling your shoulders out of the water.

3. 6 Kick switch 

For last drill, you will keep the same position as in the previous drill, but this time extending one arm. Switch arms every six kicks. The photo shows how to hold the position.

Although it often goes unnoticed by athletes, body rotation is a key component of a good swimming technique. Not only can it improve your body positioning, but it also helps widen your movements in your strokes. With these drills, you can achieve an optimal position that will make swimming easier.