"Stoneskipper" promotes many critical components of an efficient butterfly stroke. With the stoneskipper drill, you simply perform a regular butterfly pull, but once the hands press past the thighs, they do not recover over the water. Rather, continue your dolphin kicks as the arms recover underwater. Bring the arms back to the front above your head, and when you are ready, go again.

This drill helps to improve;

1. Pulling technique

2. A "chin on the surface of the water" approach

3. Timing of the kicks

4. Working on your breakout stroke

Butterfly can be a challenging stroke at times, because it does require a little more upper-body strength when compared with the other strokes. The 3-3-3 drill is simply where you perform 3 "single arm strokes" on your left arm, 3 "normal strokes" with both arms, and then 3 "single arm strokes" on your right arm. This drill can then be progressed to 2-4-2, or 1-4-1, for example, to progress to more frequent butterfly swimming.

This drill helps to;

1. Work on the technique on each indivdual side of the body

2. Transfer the drill of the single arm to the regular swimming

3. Develop your timing

This drill is excellent for both the kicking and thoracic spinal rotation. There is no arm movement involved. Simply, kick on your back with a buoyant body position and frequent legs. With arms by your side, rotate the shoulders up and down, slowly.

This drill is fantastic for;

1. Developing the rotation required for adequate reach and pull

2. Establishing a stable kick

3. Promoting sound body position

The slow motion drill is regular backstroke swimming, however the arms move super slow and the legs work in overdrive. 

This drill encourages the swimmer to;

1. Focus on each individual stroke and pull

2. Improve kicking ability

3. Establish a stable core and body position

The best breaststrokers have a "dolphin action" as they are swimming breaststroke. The breast arms, fly kick drill promotes this action and allows the swimmer to focus on the arm pull without the need to also focus on the breaststroke kick.

This breaststroke drill promotes;

1. Sound timing and efficiency

2. The breaststroke pull and catch

Like all strokes, breaststroke relies on a strong "catch" in order to pull the water. The breaststroke pull begins with an outsweep of the hands. This drill involves the swimmer relaxing the legs whilst the arms perform a scull, then a scull, then a full breaststroke pull. The purpose of each scull is to practice and perfect the initial outsweep and to gain an appropriate feel for water.

This drill therefore promotes;

1. A sound outsweep of the hands

2. Correct pulling technique

3. Patience at the front of the stroke

Closed fist drill is where the swimmer performs regular freestyle swimming, but with closed fists. This drill can be performed with any stroke, and challenges the swimmer to use the forearms more effectively. When you close your fists, you have less surface area to pull with.

This drill helps to develop;

1. A strong catch and pull

2. Feel for stroke

3. Body position and leg commitment

With the long dog drill, the arms never leave the water. Once each arm has finished the stroke and presses past the thighs, it returns to the catch position underwater. Whilst this happens, the other arm completes the pulling motion and the legs continue to kick.

This drill helps to develop;

1. Appropriate movement of the arms, and the ability to push the water backwards.

2. Timing of the pull and stable legs to promote body position