To Drill Or Not To Drill? That Is The Question!
by George Blackwell
In this article, I thought I’d briefly summarise my own views on ‘drills’ as a means of improving technique from a swimming and running standpoint. For the readers that I coach, you’ll know I commonly include a technical swim session in your training plans, and also like to use mobility, plyometric drills, and ‘strides’ as a way to develop and improve run mechanics.
But how useful are drills to develop technical ability i.e., to have a swim stroke or running gait that is efficient, but also durable and robust enough that it’s sustainable for a long-distance race?
Coaching is always a balance between art and science, and for me, the application of drills falls much more closely into the ‘art’ side of the spectrum.
One of my favourite terms in coaching is ‘deliberate practice’ – coined first by psychologist Anders Ericsson, which he defined as a type of practice that is purposeful and systematic. While regular practice might include mindless repetitions, deliberate practice requires focused attention and is conducted with the specific goal of improving performance.
To me, this is essential to see any transfer from a drill into improved form in either swimming or running, and is reflected in the way I structure sessions.
For example, drills can create awareness of technical components of your stroke, e.g. using the 6-3-6 drill in swimming to improve your awareness of your alignment, rotation, or timing of the front quadrant of your stroke. But, unless you can translate this awareness into an active change in your full stroke, does it matter?
Drills should always be combined with full stroke swimming, for example 25m of a given drill, into 25m full stroke, focussing on implementing the key technical change from the drill into your full stroke.
OR
Do a block of drills focussing on a technical aspect of your stroke, then take this into a block of purposeful, deliberate swimming where your sole focus is to implement this change.
Another caveat to pay my dues to the complexity of form and technique – how useful is it to be able to swim a perfect 50m, if you don’t have the strength to continue to swim that way? Do you only swim ‘perfect lengths’ with deliberate practice, or do you focus on swimming more to get strong and well-conditioned, so that you’re then able to swim with the proper technique and can engage more effectively in deliberate practice?
To my knowledge, there is little research on this from a swimming standpoint. However, Dr Chris Bramah (established biomechanics specialist and physiotherapist) has made some interesting points on this from a running gait perspective.
Bramah (2020) found that, as the training load increased in runners, fewer runners appear to possess characteristics in their running gait similar to those associated with common running injuries. He introduced the concept of ‘biomechanical Darwinism.’ In order to attain regular high mileage running and remain injury free, runners must either adapt aspects of their gait, or inherently possess a running gait that minimises the stress placed upon the musculoskeletal system.
To put it simply, if you run more and become very well-conditioned, does your body ‘learn’ to adapt your gait to minimise the risk of injury and improve efficiency? It feels like a chicken-and-egg scenario, and you’ll never be able to separate the two.
Coach George with triathletes preparing swimming drills, © https://www.instagram.com/nihonjphotography
To conclude, I have three key considerations…
If you’re doing drills, know WHY you’re doing them and how you need to transfer them into your swim stroke or running gait.
Engage in ‘deliberate practice’ to make sure you give yourself the best possible chance of transferring the drill into practice.
You can’t have good technique without the level of strength, conditioning and mobility required to perform the necessary movements. Sometimes to get more efficient, you just need more time and consistency in training!
References:
Bramah, C. (2020). The Association Between Running Kinematics and Common Overuse Injuries in Runners. Implications for Injury and Rehabilitation. University of Salford (United Kingdom).