BR Arms Drill – Sitting on a Kickboard and Sculling

This is another drill I picked up from the ASCA Level 2 class. Sit on a kickboard and scull. Here’s a decent quick video:

Rules

1. Arms must remain in front of your body. No pulling.
2. Press with your palms and move in circular motions.

Common Challenges

For most beginners, they’ll have a hard time sitting on the board and then balancing once they’re moving. Many swimmers will want to “PULL” the water because it is faster and easier to move forward.

I suggest you impose strict “fail” conditions — for example, if the elbows go past the body, or if the hands move in line with the stomach. Swimmers should move slowly.

What Are They Working On?

Balance and sculling: moving your hands against the water with pressure to create forward propulsion.

Sculling is one of those skills and feelings that are really difficult to describe or teach. It is moving your hands in small, quick motions to pull yourself forward without actually pulling on the water in the traditional anchor-push fashion. Instead, we’re using sweeps and quick circles to pull us forward.

Sculling is essential for an effective breaststroke, and it also improves fly, back, and free.