The Slide to the Corners Drill lets you practice the proper setup of the arms before doing the underwater pull movement as well as its connection to the body undulation.
- Start by pushing yourself off the wall and setting yourself into a prone or face down position with your arms extended forward and shoulder width apart.
- Perform three body undulations as practiced in the Hand-Lead Body Dolphin.
- When pressing your chest downward underwater after the third pulse, slide your arms apart from each other creating a V-shape. Make sure to keep your hands high as you perform this. This is the so-called sliding to the corners.
- You may feel the tension that builds up in your upper body in this position. This tension is useful in adding power to your pull when swimming in butterfly stroke.
- As you release your chest, slide your arms back to its parallel position, pause, catch your breath and then repeat the steps.
- When you are quite used to sliding your arms to the corners, you may start to incorporate breathing.
- After you slide your arms to the corners and return them to parallel position, raise your chest and surface above water to take a quick breath then proceed with the following pulses.
- You may experiment with a number of undulations by adding or removing them between each breath.
When performing this drill, your hands should be relaxed. Avoid using your hands to begin the body undulation or to aid in raising your head above the water to breathe. A swimming snorkel is also helpful to avoid stopping to breathe. When breathing, remember to look down and slightly forward.
Click on the link for next Stone Skipper Butterfly Drill.