Land Drill

DEFINITION
Land drilling is one of the most important aspects and skills to master when it
comes to improving overall routine execution, individual routine skills, and the
teams overall quality of routine performance. It is key in the achievement of the
whole package of any routine. Whether you do it alone at home or with your
teammates at practice, land drill must be performed in an all out fashion with
the utmost attention to detail and quality of execution. Land drilling, done
correctly, is hard work you must be fully engaged, both physically and
mentally. Making land drill high quality is everything.

Land drill is a practice for swimming; everything you do on land will be carried
into the water. Sloppy land drill will yield sloppy swimming. On land you dont
have the water to worry about, so you can achieve a higher level in land drill.
You should land drill better than you swim. If you get scores of 6-7 in the water,
you should land drill at a 9 or better.

PURPOSE
1. Practice and perfect the sequence of events until it becomes nearly
automatic.
2. Practice synchronization with the music and with teammates.
3. Practice precision of movements and transitions.
4. Practice exactness of pattern changes.

SET YOUR ROUTINE FOR LAND DRILL

Every movement and count should be precisely defined and executed by each
member. A land drill should be perfectly matched. Set every position very time
consuming in the beginning.
1. Every movement should be precise and defined by count.
a. Set counts for every aspect of the routine descending water levels,
surfacing, underwater work, pattern changes, strokes, hybrids.
2. Every arm and hand position should be defined and perfected.
3. Every body position should be defined.
a. Method of land drill for each hybrid/ballet leg should be defined and
perfected. Proper posture should be executed as each vertical is land
drilled.
 4. All head, shoulder, and chest carriage should be defined and perfected.

AS YOU LAND DRILL

1. Maintain a high level of energy throughout with no let down between
movements.
2. Begin with a slow tempo and increase as muscle memory improves and
endurance increases.
3. You dont need to walk/travel during land drill. Stationary positions will
help focus on counts and sharpness.
4. Visualize what it will feel and look like in the pool. Know your spacing
relative to teammates and to pool sides/bottom.
5. Each movement should be as precise as an individual snapshot. Think
freeze frame.
6. Insist on perfection at every stage. You will then be practicing execution as
well as synchronization.
a. Emphasize high quality strokes with exact arm, head, and shoulder
positions.
b. Emphasize presentation (mouth, face, and whole body). Practice
focusing on a place or spot to eliminate the blank stare.
c. Stress the exact position for each count.
d. Emphasize crisp, precise movements.
e. Ensure each swimmer knows the counts.
i. All count aloud as you land drill.
ii. Land drill with eyes closed to ensure swimmers arent
depending on others.

CARRY YOUR LAND DRILL INTO THE WATER

If you practice all the elements outlined above, and put forth the same effort
and precision in the water as you do on land, you will be your best.