Friday Fun!

esynchro Friday FUN!

May 2 ,2014

 

April Showers bring May Flowers!

Synchro has a phenomenal means of creating flowers through floats. Floats require teamwork, trust, awareness, orientation, and a certain gentleness in the water. They can provide a brief moment of rest in a difficult and quick routine, for swimmers and the audience. Although they are often fairly easy to perform, floats are always a crowd pleaser. The right combination of patterns with the arms and legs, timed perfectly to the music, create the perfect highlight in a routine.

 

Enjoy our video of floats through the ages and by all ages, in all types of pool settings and by all levels of swimmers!

Try a few floats for your Friday FUN!

Watch at esynchrotv

esynchro Friday FUN Tip!

April 25,2014

 

April Showers!

Splashing in routines is fun!  Do some fast routine moves and try to make as much splash as you can:

1. Walkout
2. Lower a straight ballet leg
3. Press up to a high vertical and pike down
4. Pull the legs from a vertical into a tabletop
5. Do a boost and lift lots of water while raising both arms

Have a contest to see who can make the most splash!

Then...

Do the same moves, just as quickly, and try to make no splash. A clean routine is more impressive than one that is all splashy. One or two intentional splashes can add interest and fun!

 

April showers bring May Flowers!

FRIDAY FUN! April 18, 2014

 Easter EGG FUN!

 

Balance or Hold Easter eggs while you do laps, spins, ballet legs, pikes, etc. 

1. Balance eggs on your back or stomach in layouts or for laps of back scull, front scull or torpedo.
2. Balance an egg on your flexed foot for a ballet leg lap.
3. Hold an egg between your ankles for a lap of double ballet legs.
4. Hold an egg between your legs and stomach as you somersault in a compact pike position.
5. Hold an egg between your ankles in a vertical. Rise up and down or add a twist.
6. Hold an egg between your ankles while you spin!

 

Have FUN and be creative. Balancing or holding an egg (or ball) can help with alignment, stability, posture and muscle tension!

esynchro Friday FUN Tip! April 4, 2014

Combo Figures!

Combine your favorite figures into one figure! Do it fast or slow- or both!

1. Ariana Barracuda spin 360: Begin the Ariana. From the first knight position, descend into the submerged back pike position. Thrust and spin and then rise up into your first split. Rotate and then walkout.
2. Ballet Leg Barracuda: Start in a back layout. Assume a bent knee. Descend into the submerged back pike. Thrust and descend. Pike up and then rise into a ballet leg. Lower the ballet leg to a back layout.
3. Barracuda Airborne Split Continuous Spin Reverse Porpoise Twist: Start in a Barracuda. Thrust, split and join to vertical. Do a continuous spin. Rise to height and twist. Lower to a pike and then straighten up to a front layout.

 

Make it FUN to practice all your figures with a little creativity!

esynchro Friday Fun Tip! March 28, 2014

4 Way Kip

1. Start in an inverted tuck position. Thrust rapidly up to vertical. From maximum height, tuck at the surface. Boost to maximum height. Tuck at the surface and then thrust again to vertical. Repeat multiple times. Start with a half rotation in the tuck position and then advance to 1 1/2 tucks between each boost and thrust.

2. Start in a tub position at the surface.  Thrust horizontally foot first along the surface. Do a rapid tuck for half a rotation and then thrust foot first in the opposite direction on the stomach. Repeat multiple times. Then add in more somersaults, increasing to 1 1/2 somersaults between each horizontal press and then try 2 1/2 somersaults.

 

The horizontal kip can be done as laps continuing to thrust repeatedly along the surface in one direction- on the back or stomach.

 

Start at a slow pace and then increase the tempo for the somersaults and boosts and thrusts. Set to counts to keep a consistent rapid tempo.

 

esynchro Friday FUN Tip March 21, 2014

FUN Underwater

Porpoise Lift and Spin Drills!

Start in a handstand or headstand on the bottom of the pool in the deep end. Pike your legs forward to about a 90° angle. Use your legs to pull yourself up toward the surface. Stop before you reach the surface with barrel scull overhead. Then use your legs as you lift toward vertical to press yourself back toward the bottom. Learn to get leverage in the water with your legs!

Swim to the bottom again and assume a headstand on the bottom. Push off the bottom with your hands and spin as many times as you can before reaching the surface. Stop beneath the surface and then spin back down, pulling yourself toward the bottom of  the pool. Improve your catch on the water going up and down while spinning! Have a contest to see who can spin the most up and down underwater.

Check us out on Facebook to see the picture!  Facebook.com/esynchro

esynchro Friday Fun Tip March 14, 2014

Fast FUN Walkout Drills!

Walkouts are fun when done quickly and can be a part of great choreography. Doing some fast walkout drills can improve sculling technique, body position, height and awareness to improve your slow walkouts for figures!

1. Start in a split position. Quickly move the front leg past vertical to about a 45 degree angle. Pause and return to the split. Repeat 4 to 10 times. 
2. Start in a split position. Quickly move the front leg all the way to the surface arch. Pause and return to the split. Repeat 4 to 10 times. Sculling is optional. 
3. Start in a bent knee surface arch position. Extend the bent knee out to about 45 degrees. Pause and bend back to the bent knee. Repeat 4 to 8 times.Sculling is optional. 
4. Start in a bent knee surface arch position. Extend the bent knee out to the surface arch. Pause and bend back to the bent knee. Repeat 4 to 8 times.Sculling is optional. 

Goal is to keep torso vertical, be stationary, and hips at the surface in all the drills. Start with 1 count moves, then change to 2-3 counts for each move. 

Fast Figure Transitions are FUN while you train and improve!

esynchro Friday FUN Tip! March 7, 2014

 

Melt the Ice Cube in the Pool!

Do you ever feel like an ice cube in the pool?

Tips to melt the ice inside and stay warm at practice:

1. Jump off the bottom: Jump off the bottom as high as you can, as fast as you can. Do 10, 20, 30... Whatever it takes to warm-up. And it’s a great aerobic workout if you continue for a couple of minutes. For more fun, add a spin on the way up or down!
2. Run in the water: With head above the surface- or under- run in place. Move the arms and legs as if running! Or make it a race across the pool- above water or under!
3. Somersault- Get in a tuck underwater and somersault forward or backward. Get the arms moving to warm you up!
4. Vertical Flutter kick: Seems like a workout but make it fun by moving the legs to music, singing, racing or making pattern changes. Try this upside down underwater too!
5. Push-ups: Do push ups on the side of the pool- up & down in the water.
6. Play a quick game of Sharks & Minnows or Tag in the pool.
7. Take a 1 minute Shower... Coaches may not like this idea but if swimmers are really cold a quick hot shower can raise the body temperature so swimmers can move and think better.

esynchro Friday FUN Tip!

 

February 28, 2014

 

Do a Perfect Ballet Leg!

 

We can visualize a perfect ballet leg. See a movie of yourself or someone else doing a ballet leg at the surface and perfectly vertical. For many, effective visualization is not just seeing a movie, but feeling the movement done perfectly. This can be a difficult obstacle to overcome when your physical skills may not be close to perfect. 

 

The answer is to perform the ballet leg as close to perfect as possible and store that memory in your mind. When you visualize, you can recall those feelings and practice- in your mind-  the physical feeling necessary to improve. Remember, the mind does not know the difference between effective visualization and actual physical practice.

 

In the pool, have 2 or 3 of your teammates hold you at the surface as in a platform lift. Do your ballet leg with sculling as if you were on your own. Memorize the feelings of maximum height, the feeling of your torso at the surface, the position of your arms, your horizontal leg at the surface, any other feelings that are important to your ballet leg. Pay attention to how it feels to keep your thigh still as your extend and then bend your leg. 

 

You can also place a kickboard (or two) underneath your back, and maybe put the foot of your horizontal leg on the edge of the pool. Scull as you would in a ballet leg and do the ballet leg while trying to stay at maximum height. 

 

Have FUN doing an excellent ballet leg! Save the memory for your visualization every day!

esynchro Friday FUN Tip! 

February 21, 2014

 

Barracuda Tips!

Perform the Barracuda thrust to vertical aiming for maximum height and vertical alignment. Then do the Barracuda thrust to different angles toward your face and your back. Try for 30, 45 and 60 degrees forward and backward. Still aim for good height and try to control your descent on the angle. 

Learn what causes you to tip forward and backward and gain control at all different angles! Have FUN making a mistake!

Friday FUN Tip! February 14, 2014

Learn to Spin!

 

Start in a bent knee vertical at maximum height. Spin one 360 revolution for each one point drop in height. Start slow if you have to and then speed up as you get a little lower. Repeat it several times until you can spin faster right from the top. Extend your bent knee so your heel stays just above the surface.

 

The only way you can learn to spin many revolutions is to try! Try to spin at least 8 x 360!

Friday FUN Tip! February 7, 2014

5 Olympic Rings Synchro Contests!

In honor of the opening of Sochi 2014 Olympic Games, let’s have our own Olympic rings contests. You can do relays or individual races, height contests or speed races! Be creative with simple hula hoops.

 

1. Hula hoop contest: On land, have a contest to see which swimmer can keep the hula hoop going the longest. And it is a great core workout while having fun.
2. Vertical or Spinning contest: Hold the hoop between your ankles and hold a vertical or have a contest to see who can do the most spins.
3. Double ballet leg race: Hold the hoop between the ankles in double ballet leg position and race across the pool.
4. Eggbeater: Hold the hoop between your hands overhead and race across the pool.
5. Boosts and Thrusts: Place 4 to 8 hoops floating in the pool. Start at one end and do a boost or thrust in each hoop. The floating hoops will move and this will add to the difficulty.

 Enjoy the Olympics! 

Good Luck to all the athletes- our wishes for great performances from all!

Friday FUN!   January 31, 2014

 

Tip is the TIP!

 Tip left to right in a vertical. Learn to get leverage with your arms and maintain control and balance with your body. Start at a low height and then rise up higher and higher. Arms should alternate with presses.

 

Choreograph a sequence of tips- alone or as a team- that travels down the pool. Vary height and left or right tip! In a line, it can create a great visual pattern!

Have FUN with the TIP!

Friday FUN!  January 24, 2014

Spin Variations

 

Start in a split or split variation with the front or back knee bent. Make sure to try both left and right splits to start- no matter which direction you spin. Starting in “the opposite” split can help you utilize the whip of the legs and momentum to spin faster!

 

Begin with a standard “open “ spin- start in a split and gradually close the legs towards vertical as you spin - try to spin at least 3-4 revolutions. 

Then vary the leg and torso positions as you spin: One or both knees, bent, Arched or piked, Arched bent knee vertical, Helicopter & variations, Open tuck- try any position to spin!

After you “play” with some variations, work on spinning as fast as you can and doing as many revolutions as possible!

Spinning is FUN! 

More info on routine spins in Routine Fundamentals!

Friday FUN! January 17, 2014

Split Thrusts

 

Split rockets or thrusts are one of the most fun moves in synchro- and one of the most exciting for a spectator to watch. Now that a split thrust is part of a new figure- the Barracuda Airborne Split- and has been part of routine elements for years, the rapid split move is a necessity for success. But that does not mean it can’t be fun. Below are some ideas to play with split rockets- and they will probably help improve them too!

1. Start in a helicopter position underwater. As the feet break the surface, press the bent leg back so the thigh is vertical. As the arms perform a thrusting action, rapidly switch the legs into a split and then close to vertical. Relax the hips so the legs will reach a flat- or overspilt- position. Try both legs.
2. Do a split rocket as above, and try to do 2 splits. Close to vertical and perform the same split again, or switch into the opposite split. 
3. Do a barracuda thrust. From maximum height, open the legs as in a split, but bend both knees in the "split", and then close rapidly to vertical. Also try with one knee bent- the front or back leg.
4. Start underwater in a helicopter position, but bend both knees. Do a split rocket from this position. Return to a vertical or return to the starting position and repeat another split rocket. 
5. Start underwear in a tabletop position. Rotate both legs out- into a sort of cross leg sitting position. From here, do a split rocket into a middle split. 
6. Add a twirl or spin as the legs close to vertical from any split rocket. 
7. Have a competition for the highest split thrust, flatest split, most spins after the split, etc. 

 

Spend 5-10 minutes playing with the above ideas and creating your own split thrusts!

Friday FUN! 

January 10, 2014

 

Spin on the ground

Lay on the ground on your back with arms overhead. Roll to one side for several revolutions, then roll back to where you started. Try to maintain good alignment from fingertips to toes. 

Try it with eyes closed!

In a large area, try to roll in groups. Have 2 to 8 swimmers align in one or two lines, fingertips to toes. Start rolling together and try to stay synchronized and in line!

 

A FUN way to improve orientation, awareness and alignment.

Friday FUN! January 3, 2014

Descending Sprints

Swimming with descending times- getting faster- is a great workout and can help swimmers learn how to monitor their effort levels as they swim.

 

Swim set is 16 x 25 yards freestyle.

Start with a very easy time for the first repetition and then decrease the time on each repetition.

Example of send-off times:

1:00 0:57 0:54 0:51 0:48 0:45 0:42 0:39

0:36 0:33 0:30 0:27 0:24 0:21 0:18 0:15

Friday FUN December 13, 2103

The Kip in synchro is similar to gymnastic moves so training the kip on land is a natural.

 

7 Suggestions for Training the Kip:

1. Back tuck somersaults: Start standing and then bend down into a compact tuck and roll backwards 360, returning to the feet.
2. Start sitting in a compact tuck position. Roll backwards and try to stop with the shins in a vertical line. (Take caution with the extreme bend in the neck.)
3. Start in a compact tuck laying on the back with arms wrapped around the legs. Roll back and forward, paying attention to the shift in weight. Also try rocking side to side. 
4. Start in a compact tuck on the back. Extend out into a layout position. This can also be done on a bench to increase difficulty.
5. Start in a compact tuck position laying on the side. Extend out to a vertical line on the side.
6. Assume a headstand position with the legs in a tuck. Slowly extend the legs up to vertical, pause and then return to the tuck. Repeat at different tempo’s.
7. Hang from exercise/ dance bar in an inverted vertical position. Slowly pull down into a tuck position. Pause and then extend to the vertical.

Get Figure Fundamentals Vol. 1 for many more drills, pictures and instructions for the Kip!

 

 

Friday FUN!! December 6, 2013

Sculling test with your goggles!

Stand in the shallow end at about shoulder depth. Put your arms in back scull posiiton with hands about 4 inches underwater. Put your goggles under one hand and start sculling. Try to get your goggles all the way to the bottom of the pool. Make sure to test with both hands (or use 2 pairs of goggles). Then switch to support scull. Place the goggles just over your hand and scull. The goggles should rise up to the surface rapidly and stay there. 

Sculling should create a "lift force" that will hold the body up. 

 

FRIDAY FUN! November 22, 2013

Water Stretch: Stretch and run warm-up

Stand in the shallow end of the pool at about shoulder depth. Lift one knee as high as possible in front of the body. Then extend the knee, trying to get the foot out of the water. Lower that leg to the bottom and simultaneously lift the other knee. Extend that leg out and as it lowers bend the first knee again. Get a good rhythm going as you bounce up and down off the feet. Set counts- bend on 1, extend on 3, bend the other knee on 5, extend on 7. Start at a moderate tempo and speed up as you get more warmed up. Keep moving across the pool for 2 to 4 laps. For variation lift the knees and extend out to the sides of the body and move sideways across the pool. 

Friday FUN November 15, 2013

 Somersault Every Direction

 Start in a surface front pike position.

First- somersault in the "normal" direction. Continue somersaulting all the way around. After a couple of somersaults speed up and go as fast as you can. Try to maintain the perfect 90 degree angle at your hips and control your position and speed.

Next- somersault foot first. Then somersault to the right and then the left. Each direction, maintain the 90 and control your balance, position and speed of somersaulting.

Make sure you know where you are during every somersault and control your position and your depth in the water! After you can control the position, try to somersault as fast as you can.

Friday FUN! November 8, 2013

 

Workout to music!

In honor of Veterans’ Day and all of our veterans who have served and continue to serve our country and preserve our freedom, choose some patriotic music with a good beat like Stars and Stripes forever or Yankee Doodle Dandy. 

Do your warm-up laps and workout to the music.

1. Set ballet leg laps- up and down, or just alternate bent knees set to the music.
2. Rotary laps- set each hip rotation to a beat.
3. Eggbeater laps: turn a 1/4 turn every other beat or every 4th beat, or set arm positions to the beats.
4. Sculling laps- back scull, torpedo, barrel, etc: Do 1 scull per beat.
5. Support scull drills: scull to the beats.
6. Routine drills- Ex. Tabletop to vertical to tabletop: set to beats, start slowly and then increase the tempo and then try to add in a twirl in the vertical or in the tabletop position.

 

Be creative and have fun with the patriotic music!

 

Friday FUN! November 1, 2013

Water sit-ups!

Instead of doing the same old sit-ups on land, try this fun AB workout in the pool!

Scull with the head upright in water at least shoulder depth. Pull both legs into a tuck. Extend both legs out to the left, as close to the surface as possible- at least at a 45 degree angle. Pull back into the tuck in the center of the body. Extend the legs out to the right side and then pull back into the tuck. Continue to repeat for 50 to 60 repetitions- 25 to 30 to each side. Do 2 to 4 sets.

For more difficulty workout, turn on a metronome or just watch a pace clock and try to do one extension per second. 

For variety, change the angle the legs extend to- extend forward of the body at different angles to the left and right of center. 

Not only will you get a great AB workout, you will work on speed and endurance in the pool.

Friday FUN! October 25, 2013

In honor of the last Friday in PINKtober, let’s focus on breaststroke.

Fun variations for breaststroke swimming sets:

1. Breaststroke with dolphin kick. Exaggerate the up and down dolphin movement. Rise up as high out of the water as possible and as the arms and head dive down, lift the hips up out of the water. Really try to be a dolphin.
2. Swim breaststroke with spins on the glide-right after the kick: start with a 180 ending on the back. Follow with a breaststroke on the back and another 180 onto the stomach. Repeat for the lap. Then move onto 360 and even 720 spins. Finally try the 1080. You will need a strong kick and rotation from the hips!
3. Swim breaststroke with as few strokes per lap as possible. Get a strong pull and kick and glide as far as possible!
4. Breaststroke pull with one arm: Keep the legs together and start with one arm extended forward and the other down at the side. Try to swim straight forward even with just one arm pulling. Keep the core set!
5. Vertical breaststroke kick: In the deep end of the pool, get in an upright vertical position. Do breaststroke kick to keep the head above water. Set a tempo with the metronome to work on speed or hold the hands above the water to work on strength. 
6. Breaststroke up and down: In the deep end of the pool, do a surface dive and continue to breaststroke to the bottom. Touch the bottom with your hands and then pull your feet to the bottom. Push off and breaststroke up to the surface. When you get near the surface, do one final pull and kick to “boost” out of the water!

Ladies: Remember to get your annual mammogram and do regular self-exams. Early detection saves lives!

Friday Fun! October 18, 2013

 

Warm-up by Running in the Water

Run laps in the shallow end for your warm-up instead of swimming. Lift the knees high- get higher as you get more warmed up. Then switch to butt kicks. Try to move quickly. Switch back to running with knees high and move the legs out wider and pull the knees as high as you can. Make sure to move the arms forward and back. After 4 to 8 laps of running, twist side to side and do some bicep curls or triceps presses to warm the arms up more.

 

Variety in the warm-up adds fun and excitement. You’ll find running and other water exercises can be great exercise!

 

Friday FUN! October 11, 2013

 

Sculling combo!

 

Combine different types of sculling in one lap. Keep moving while you transition into a new scull.

Start with headfirst movement. Begin in back scull. Slide the arms overhead into reverse torpedo. Roll onto the stomach and change to barrel scull. Slide the arms down into front scull. Continue sliding the arms down to the hips and then roll into back scull.

 

Next try foot first movement. Start in foot first scull. Do a few presses up toward the shoulders and then transfer into support scull for a few sculls. Press the arms overhead into torpedo. Roll onto the stomach and continue to torpedo. Then slide the arms down into support scull. Continue with a few presses from hip to shoulder. Finish with the hands at the hips. Do foot first scull on the stomach and then rotate onto the back and start again. 

 

Learn to transition smoothly while continuing to have catch on the water!

 

Friday FUN! October 4, 2013

 

Combine swimming strokes and kicks in one lap.

Swimming: Start in freestyle- do 3 strokes, then do 2 butterfly strokes, rotate to one side and do 2 side strokes, rotate to the back and do 3 backstrokes, turn to the other side and do 2 side strokes, rotate onto the stomach again and do 2 breaststrokes. Start all over again in freestyle. 

 

Kicking: Start in front flutter kick for 5-6 kicks. Do 3 dolphin kicks, then turn to one side and do 2 scissor kicks, onto the back for 5-6 back flutter kicks and 2 dolphin kicks. Rotate to the other side for 2 scissor kicks and then onto the stomach for 2 breaststroke kicks.

 

Try to keep moving forward as you rotate and transfer between strokes.

Friday FUN! September 27, 2013

Water aerobics!!

Try water aerobics for you cardio/aerobic workout in the pool. Can be done in the deep or shallow end of the pool. Put together your own aerobic moves in the pool- use arms, legs, torso, up & down, twisting... Put on some fun music and move to the beats.

Jog in place- move the arms, press up and down with arms, mimic swimming with the arms or legs, pull the legs into a tuck and extend down, forward, side to side, back, use the arms to twist side to side, do karate kicks and punches, etc. Do whatever you want- just keep moving for at least 8 to 10 minutes. Have swimmers of coaches take turns leading the moves. 

Have fun- dance in the water and get fit!

Friday FUN!!! September 20, 2013    

Culinary Adventure!

Try a new food!

One of the most important aspects of a great diet is variety. This weekend, try a fruit or vegetable that you have never had before. Lots of supermarkets as well as small produce markets carry a huge variety of fruits and vegetables. Below is just a short list that you may or may not have tried or even heard of and many are readily available in local stores.

Fruits: Cherimoya, durian, jackfruit, ugli, guava, persimmon, star fruit, pomegranate, pluto, fig, dragon fruit, mangosteen, and fresh coconut.

Vegetables: kohlrabi, sun choke, manioc, turnip, parsnips, rutabaga, spaghetti squash, beet greens, swiss chard, leeks, fiddleheads and kai lam (chinese broccoli).

Go on a culinary adventure this weekend!

Friday FUN!!! September 13, 2013

Somersault Contest!

 

See how many back tuck somersaults you can do in one minute. Just start in a tuck and stay in it for the full minute. Go as fast as you can. Then try it in a back pike position. 

Work on using the water better- getting better grab and improving orientation and awareness. 

 

Friday FUN, September 6, 2013

 

Stroke Count!

 

Use the freestyle tips from the last two Tuesday tips to start your warm-up! Then, reduce the number of strokes you do by 1 stroke per lap for each lap you do. Swim at least 10 laps- try to do more. By 20 laps you should be down to only a couple of strokes.

Friday FUN! August 23, 2013

Playground Workout!

Play at a playground for 30 minutes to an hour for a great aerobic workout. Also improve strength and orientation.

Swings: swing for 10-15 minutes- workout those arms and abs. Then spin around- twirling up the chain as high as you can. Let it unravel and then go the opposite direction. When it unravels- hold your legs out straight and then bend them in as you spin. Feel how your speed increases. 

Slides: Run up the slide (use the stairs if you have to or just run up the slide if no one else is there) and slide down. Keep going as long as you can.

Monkey bars: hang and walk across with your hand. Swing from your knees. If you can hand from your knees, try to do sit-ups or curls from the hanging position. 

Merry -go -round: Spin around as fast as you can. Make sure you go both directions. 

Rock wall: Climb up and work on arm , leg and core strength. 

Sand: if there is sand, run around in the sand. It’s a great workout for feet, calves and thighs.

Have FUN-cardio doesn’t have to be all work and no play!

Friday FUN! August 16, 2013

Cardio FUN!

Do something fun at the end of summer- hike, bike, swim in the ocean or a lake, dance!!

Consistent exercise for 40 minutes of more- enough to raise the heart rate and work the muscles.

Start getting in shape now before fall training starts. Any type of cardio will improve cardiac function and give you a head start on fall workouts!

Friday FUN, August 9, 2013

 

Play in the water like a dolphin or a mermaid!

Swim with or without fins. Use your legs in a dolphin kick- undulate from head to toe in a smooth and flowing manner. Twist and turn, circle and jump out of the water. Try with your arms down by your sides and your arms overhead. When your arms are overhead, notice how little moves with your fingers and wrists can change your direction. Feel the calmness of being underwater and how comfortable you feel. 

 

Have FUN and be one with the water!

Friday FUN!: August 2, 2013

Choose your favorite piece of music- it does not have to be something you would really swim to in competition. Choreograph a routine to it.  Listen to the music, hear the beats and the rhythms. Start on land by dancing to the music and then move into the water. Do moves that fit the style of the music and move to the beats and rhythms. Play in the water to the music and then set some of the moves to specific parts of the music. Try to "choreograph" a whole routine in less than an hour. It does not have to be perfect- just have fun. You will be surprised at the great new choreography you can create in a short time!

 

Friday FUN July 26, 2013

Watch world class routines from 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona. Find some difficult sequences and try them. The best way to learn new skills is to figure it out on your own. The neural connections are stronger and faster when you discover yourself how to do something new. The same applies in school. WIth new judging rules, difficulty is a key component of routine scores. Challenge yourself now to increase the difficulty in your routines. 

Friday FUN July 19, 2013

 

Try new figures!

Look in the rulebook (FINA Manual online at www.fina.orgLook under RULES tab and then Synchro rules. Page 2 of Synchro Rules, Appendix 4 http://www.fina.org/H2O/docs/rules/SS%20RULES%20-%20APPENDIX%20IV.pdf)

 

Find several figures you have never done before and try them! For even more fun, try them with both legs, i.e. if it starts in a ballet leg, try it with both the left and right ballet legs, if one leg is lifted from a pike into a crane, try with both the left and right legs. If your coach has experience from years ago, she may remember some of the old figures that are no longer in the Synchro Rules- try them. 

 

It is important to learn new skills to challenge your body and your mind as well as to work on both sides of the body to develop  more symmetry in strength and flexibility as well as coordination.

 

Have FUN while you learn and improve!!!!!!

Friday FUN July 2013

Flip in the pool....

Play in the shallow end of a pool or in a loake or the ocean,

Do flips, cartwheels, back handsprings, front handsprings, round-off, front and back walkovers.

Not only will these gymnastic skills improve your gymnastics abilities on land but will help improve your agility, flexibility, coordination, orientation, strength and awareness in the water. Have fun all summer long by playing in the water.

Friday FUN June 14, 2013

Swim with EYES CLOSED!

 

Closing your eyes forces you to become more aware of your other senses, most importantly in the water, what you are feeling.

Try swimming a part of a lap or several laps in your warm-up with your eyes closed. Swim all the strokes- freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. What does it feel like? Can you feel the rotation of your body in freestyle and backstroke? Can you feel your body moving across the surface?

 

Figures: Try to complete an entire figure with your eyes closed. Do you feel your body? Your sculling? Your back? Your legs? Do you feel the water- when you are sculling and the height on your legs?

 

Routines: Try a section of your routines with your eyes closed! Do the stroke sections and hybrids/figures! Make sure you have plenty of space. What does it feel like? Did you get lost? 

 

Close your eyes and open up your other senses! 

 

Friday FUN 13 June 7, 2013

 

Swim your routine at different speeds!

 

Try swimming your routine as fast as you can and as slow as you can. Pick a portion of your routine- the first lap, last lap, or just one hybrid or section of strokes. Swim it as fast as possible. Then swim the section as slow as possible. What did you learn about how to move more efficiently? How to travel further? How to transition more quickly? How to stay near the surface better? Where you can get higher? How you can kick or scull more efficiently?

 

After you do one section, swim through the rest of the routine as fast and as slow as possible. Use this time as routine warm-up or training without music. 

 

Have FUN! Move quickly- Move slowly... Move more efficiently!

Friday FUN 12: May 31, 2013

 

Try a teammate’s routine!

Learn a small section of a teammate’s routine and try it. Just learn the first lap or part of a lap- only take a few minutes. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Older swimmers might learn a younger swimmer’s solo, duet or trio. Young swimmers could try the older girls’ team or solo or duet. 

 

Try it a few times- see what you can learn about skills, execution and performance. Watch your teammates swim your routine and learn how you can make some small changes and do it better!

 

Take 10 minutes and have some fun! Everyone can learn and improve!

 

Friday FUN 11: May 24, 2013

 

Smile!

We all know that smiling makes us feel better as well as those around us. Try smiling more at practice.

1. Smile when you are swimming your warm-up after every flip turn. Maybe even do an extra spin or something fun to remind yourself to smile.
2. Smile while you are swimming your underwater laps.
3. Smile at your coaches when you are doing your eggbeater warm-up.
4. Smile when you get into a layout for figures.
5. Smile a few times when you are underwater practicing a figure.
6. See who can make the funniest face underwater.
7. Smile and thank your coaches when you finish practice.

You would be amazed that smiling more can not only help the mood of practice, but also can help improve performance. Smiling releases chemicals in the brain that help you feel better and think more clearly.

Friday FUN 10: May 17, 2013

Tip on your face or back!

In a vertical, bent knee vertical or crane position, tip as far toward your face as possible, where you can still hold it. Then tip as far toward your back as you can. Don’t fall over. 

 

Pay attention to a few things as you do this:

1. What did you do to tip forward? Backward?
2. Can you feel the difference between straight, forward and backward?
3. Where are you sculling? Where are your hands? Can you keep doing support scull?
4. Is it harder or easier to scull?
5. Where are you looking? 
6. Does it feel heavy or light?
7. Do you feel higher when you are forward? Backward? Or Straight?

Use the answers to make adjustments to find vertical all of the time.

Friday FUN 9: May 10, 2013

Swimming and Spinning

 

Improve orientation and awareness by adding spins to your warm-up or workout. 

 

1. After every flip turn, breaststroke or butterfly turn, push off the wall and add a 360 spin after the push. Keep your hands together and rotate around your center. Make sure you push deep enough to complete the turn before surfacing.
2. During a lap of freestyle, complete a quick 360 spin during the glide after one hand entry. Do 3 to 6 spins per lap.
3. While doing breaststroke, add a 360 spin during the glide. Complete 3 to 6 spins per lap. 
4. Try a 720 spin during a breaststroke lap, freestyle lap or after a turn.

 

Friday FUN 8: May 3, 2013

Swim Close Together!

1. Choose a partner for lap swimming- a duet partner if you have a duet. Swim your warm-up laps as close together as you can- staying side by side. Stay close when you do flip turns too! Make sure you swim at the same speed.
2. Choose a segment or lap of a duet, trio, or team routine. With your duet or trio partners or with one other team member, swim the routine segment as close together as you can- even closer than you would want to be in a routine. 

Have FUN with a partner and get comfortable swimming close together.

Tip 7: April 26,2013

Fast figures!

Do figures as fast as possible from start to finish. Repeat in sets of a certain number: 10, 20, 30 etc. Or repeat for a set length of time and compete against teammates to see who can do the most in 2-3 minutes! Start in the layout and complete the whole figure. From the end position- another layout or underwater, transition quickly into the initial layout position and start again.

Great figures to try this with: Kip or kip split, porpoise- plain or with a spin 360 or full twist, heron, ballet leg, front or back walkover, albatross, barracuda and reverse catalina.

Not only will swimmers have fun but they can learn to move more quickly, transition better from underwater, get better leverage on the water, improve orientation, balance and body awareness; all at the same time as they are improving overall endurance and strength. 

No more slow figures- go as fast as you can! 

(Sorry swimmers- only for practice!)

 

 Tip 6: April 19, 2013

7 FUN Warm-up Ideas!

1. Play a water polo game.
2. Play sharks and minnows.
3. Run several laps- on the bottom of a shallow pool or in the deep end.
4. Swim all the strokes foot first.
5. Swim in tandem- connect feet to hand or try side by side.
6. Swim all the strokes with one arm and one leg- make sure to use both sides.
7. Swim warm-up holding a ball or kickboard. 

 

Tip 5: April 5, 2013

Try these fun ideas for laps to help improve your ballet legs!

1. Flutter kick with your horizontal leg on ballet leg laps. Make sure to do both legs.
2. Try to do backstroke while doing a ballet leg.
3. Move your foot over your face on purpose and then pull your hips under your foot. Feel like you push headfirst with your thigh.
4. Bob up and down in height- push your hips up to the surface and hold for 5-10 sculls and then let your hips sink for 5-10 sculls. Repeat for the whole lap.
5. Start in a ballet leg at the surface. As you scull headfirst, sink down into a submarine ballet leg. Travel for a few counts at your ankles and then travel headfirst as you rise up to the surface. Try this one going foot first too. 

 

Tip 4: March 29, 2013

Play with some of the old figures for 5 to 10 minutes. Swimmers will have fun and learn how to do some new skills.

1. Single Ballet leg roll: starts and ends as a submarine ballet leg. From the ankle water level, complete a full rotation turning around the horizontal axis of the body (spine and horizontal leg). Try turning in both directions. For fun- do it wrong and rotate vertically with the ballet leg tipping over the head as in an Ibis tip back or rotate foot first with the head tipping first up and over the hips. Maintain the same water level throughout the rotation.
2. Double ballet leg roll: same concept as the single ballet leg roll only done in double ballet legs. Do a double ballet leg submarine and then from ankle level rotate around the horizontal axis of the spine for one full rotation. Again- turn in both directions and then try turning around the vertical axis. This is now like a front or back pike somersault. 

Swimmers find it fun and you will be amazed how it can help them with orientation and body awareness. PLAY!

Tip 3: March 22, 2013

 Noodles!

Use swim noodles for fun and learning! Let swimmers play and figure it out on their own. Not much instruction.

1. Sit on the noodle and race across the pool. Use the arms in whatever method is fastest.
2. Push the noodle in front of you and race. choose your own method of propulsion!
3. Lay on the noodle in a back layout and a ballet leg. FInd the best position to help get a perfect ballet leg. Is it horizontal across the body? And where? Is it vertical along the length of the body?

Have fun! Let swimmers find out how to balance, move and utilize the noodles for the best leverage to get them higher. 

Tip 2: March 15, 2013

Spinning!

Spin! Spin!- You have to spin a lot to improve orientation- don’t get lost on spins anymore.

2 ways to improve orientation and learn about leverage in the water.

1. Hang from an inner tube with both arms over the edge, legs together and hanging down through the middle. Using only the legs and keeping the legs together, start spinning. After getting the “hang” of it, spin as fast as possible. Try spinning in the opposite direction. Note to coaches: do not give much instruction- let the swimmers figure it out on their own. In this way, swimmers learn how to use the water in many ways and to think on their own.
2. Get on the back in a tight tuck position. Somersault backward as rapidly as possible. Again, use the arms for leverage and let swimmers discover how to do it on their own. Switch directions and somersault forward. Then try to somersault sideways- make sure to go both directions. 

Often, swimmers are disoriented when they go upside down in the water and more often, when they spin. It has been amazing to learn that many swimmers still get disoriented after years of swimming. Play with these simple drills to improve orientation in the water. It is a critical skill in success. 

Tip 1: March 8, 2013

Dolphins! 

Teach swimmers dolphins to work on the beginning of the Back Walkover, Albatross, and Cyclone!

The Dolphin was a compulsory figure for many years so every swimmer learned how to do it. The Dolphin is one of the FINA basic movements. For those of you who don’t know: a Dolphin is making a perfect circle under water with the body, submerging and surfacing at the same point, having about a 9 foot diameter. Each part of the body should pass through the same starting, 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 points, resurfacing at the same point the head started. 

 

Technique Hint: Start in reverse torpedo and then utilize a variety of head first sculling positions and maybe even support scull before surfacing. Try to make a perfect circle. The body should be in a gentle arch from head to foot- like a banana.