What is your fav drill at practice?

I think this would be a great drill to use a snorkel with. +1 I tried this drill today and after 50 yds, grabbed my snorkel. Without having to think about breathing, it was much easier to concentrate on the catch. This is definitely an area where I need work.

My favorite drill: as suggested by Ed Moses, breaststroke kick on my back. On the other hand, there are many other drills which a) I am terrible at and b) I really need to work on.

I like this one a lot right now: www.goswim.tv/.../freestyle---practice-the-catch.html Aside from placing particular emphasis on the actual catch, how is this any different than a normal catch-up drill? BTW, I find many people try rushing all these drills. Catch-up is so close to normal freestyle, especially for front-quadrant swimmers, that it's pretty easy to get caught up in going fast, not focusing on the specifics of the drill. Skip

My fav breaststroke drill is two "underwater" kicks w/one pull - and you have to wait for three seconds after the second kick before you pull, so your body becomes horizontal again. My fav freestyle drill involves (surprise!!) short fins - you kick on your side (no board) for about 6 yards, then pull the lower arm through & rotate to the other side, repeat kicking & rolling. It's very fun, but also good to help people learn to rotate their shoulders. I agree on both on these; except, my coach had me doing three *** kicks for each pull. I have a very flast *** stroke and this make me go deeper with more of a wave.

One, the catch up drill I learned years ago had you in streamline position actually touching hands. I like the position 11 better as it doesn't promote crossing in front. I've done two things to combat the tendency to streamline while doing a catch-up drill. One, extend my thumbs and don't let then do more than graze their tips in the catch-up position. Second, I have a short piece of broomstick in my swim bag. If I grab both ends of the stick that puts me in the position 11 you referred to. Every stroke I grab the free end of the stick and initiate the next pull on the other side. Skip

pull on the laneline drill. definitely my favorite, but not much use to anyone.

Reading this thread made me recongnize that I actually much prefer to swim over doing drills... but to answer the OP: I have kinda enjoyed working on my catch with paddles this year. Also "swim golf" can be pretty fun; i.e. try to minimize the sum of your stroke count plus your time over a fixed distance.

Doing breaststroke with a little ball underneath my neck really helped me to figure out how to look down instead of up.

Backstroke drill...this one is very had to describe. Start on back, right hand in streamline position, left arm at side, initiate right arm pull (from hip) bringing hand all the way to 90 degrees then reverse direction (hand drops to water then moves underwater back to starting position in streamline over head, repeat for 25 the switch arms on return. Is the point of the drill to work the catch over and over? (Or do I not understand your description of the drill?)

Fly drill = right arm, both arms, left arm, both arms, right arm, both.....repeat (breathing can be to the side on right or left arm or front on both). Freestyle finger drill = 150's; first 25 fist, second index fingers added, 3rd add one more finger...till full hand on last 25 Backstroke drill...this one is very had to describe. Start on back, right hand in streamline position, left arm at side, initiate right arm pull (from hip) bringing hand all the way to 90 degrees then reverse direction (hand drops to water then moves underwater back to starting position in streamline over head, repeat for 25 the switch arms on return. Breaststroke = 125's, 1st 25 right arm only, second left arm only, 3rd fists, 4th normal swim, 5th is breaststroke kick on back