For the fish out there:
What 2 or 3 swimming drills would you suggest poor swimmer, e.g., 1000 yds. in 19:15, do to try to become a better swimmer? I am asking because I am a poor swimmer who currently does no drills.
For pure technique work, it’s tough to beat the fingertip drag and catchup drills. Just do lots of 50’s on a relatively easy interval for a week or two, really focus on elongating your stroke and rotating your body. Shoot for <20 strokes per length.
For me, the best two drills are fist swimming and one armed swimming.
-
Stroke Counts. Can be used in conjunction with anything regardless of the distance. Great drill for 500 - 1000 meter intervals to prevent loss of form by keeping your stroke count consistant. Great for 200-500 meters to try and improve stroke count. Also good for isolating catch, extension, and rotation by determining the most efficient form.
-
Rotation drills. Triple switches and single switches to work on rotation.
-
Catch ups with a swim bouy. Great for isolating your pull and extension.
As already stated fingertips and catch up are your bread and butter.
I like underwater recovery to help learn how to lead with your hips.
Now, obviously, I’ve never seen you swim, but I’d be willing to bet you’d be able to make the most improvement in your swim times by kicking more.
Kick with a board and without. Kick on your front, back and sides. Kick with your arms out front and with your arms at your sides. Kick with fins and kick without. Kick and and then kick some more.
Good luck and happy swimming!
You may be on to something here. I don’t really kick much at all. I kick just enough to kind of keep my legs up and to time my stroke.
There is only one drill you need to do: find a coach. He or she will give you the drills you need. Nobody here can do that.
- Catch up, 2. Fist, (single switch, and triple switch:Total Immersion are also good) 1:01 IMFL
-
Stroke Counts. Can be used in conjunction with anything regardless of the distance. Great drill for 500 - 1000 meter intervals to prevent loss of form by keeping your stroke count consistant. Great for 200-500 meters to try and improve stroke count. Also good for isolating catch, extension, and rotation by determining the most efficient form.
-
Rotation drills. Triple switches and single switches to work on rotation.
-
Catch ups with a swim bouy. Great for isolating your pull and extension.
I don’t view Stroke Counts as a drill. You don’t really do anything other than swim normally and pay more attention to your stroke (which is what we should be doing all the time anyway).
I like 1-arm, alternating laps with the off arm out front and then by my side. Catch up is great, even better done bilateral.
Everyone has said fingertip drag and catchup - those are good.
While not really a “drill,” laying on one’s back and sculling is an excellent way to improve feel for the water, which is often lacking in a beginning swimmer.
Good luck! Enjoy your time in the fishbowl 
I’m going to disagree. I think that Doug Stern’s ‘sewing machine’ drill* is the single best. I works on several things at once.
a. preventing stroking too far back.
b. shoulder rotation linked to hips and the simultaneous dropped forearm stuff that finger drag works on.
c. preventing cross over
d. high elbow.
e. body position
f. coordinating the breath with shoulder and hip rotation.
I’m sure there are others.
*Doug credits Anthony Earvin for the drill.
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=782744;search_string=drill;#782744
Yuck - something about the drill bugs me. Not sure what.
I prefer Doug’s other drill… Scooter. Similar to head up swimming but without as much strain, and one arm at a time.
Doing 4x50 Drill Set (done twince) in between your warm-up and amin set fits nicely into a workout.
- fingertip drag
- catch-up
- left-arm only
- right-arm only
I’ve been swimming with my daughter on and off for a couple of weeks - she swam + water polo’d in college, and is a pretty strong swimmer. She has had me doing lots of rotation drills (8 kick on one side, stroke over to the other side for another 8 kick) and single arm swimming (other arm at the side, breathing away from the stroking side). With that, I have found my body position has improved 100%, and my feet are actually at the surface when I swim. She’s also had me kicking on my back, and doing backstroke rotations as well. Swallowed half of the bloody pool, but I know it’s helping.
Wife & I put her on the plane back to Texas today - and I’m looking forward to a break from her tough training!!
Does anyone know what is an above average / fast time for a 1000?
ooooh I forgot to tell you my other favorite drills!!!
dog paddle. if you bark you get the maximum benefit
chicken wing. (hands tucked under your armpits, and swim like that). cluck for bonus points 
dolphin dives because they’re fun, cannonballs for the same reason
Half of swimming is keeping thyself entertained!!! and the lifeguards like to have me around
Does anyone know what is an above average / fast time for a 1000?
9:58.8 was the 25th fastest time in the US…since 9/1/2006…for 13-14 year old boys.
Chicken wing–tried that. Ugly. I stopped when I figured I might not make it to the other end before sunset.
That was before sunrise.
First of all, change your attitude. You are not a poor swimmer (unless you have no money), you are an improving one.
Drills are designed for specific aspects of your stroke. We need to know what you are doing and how you view it.
Getting a coach or having someone watch you swim would be a great start. Usually we do not know what we do not know. Notice what other swimmers are doing especially the ones who swim straight. What are they doing? Imitate them. Notice how their arms come out of the water and where they enter the water. Do their hips roll or not? Are their toes pointed as they swim or not? Observation goes a long way in the learning process.
DougStern