Sighting during the swim leg of a triathlon is an important skill to master and should be practiced frequently. You must spot your target quickly, maintain the rhythm of your stroke with a streamlined body position, and sustain speed in the water. If open water access is limited, you can practice the following pool drills to better prepare you for race day. Here are the four pool drills to enhance your triathlon swim.
Start in a freestyle position and begin swimming a normal stroke. As you swim, lift your head out of the water. With your eyes looking forward and your mouth above the surface of the water. Maintain a still head position as you swim. Focus on a strong pull backward, good rotation, and consistent kick. Keep your head out of the water for the duration of this drill and breathe forward.
Also referred to as “head up free” or “water polo drill,” Tarzan is a great drill progression for effective sighting. While it is not recommended to breathe forward when racing. This drill improves head positioning, breathing, and overall strength in the water while allowing you to see where you’re going and reducing overall panic in open water. This drill also develops awareness of body position and how it affects your stroke. It is especially effective when swimming in choppy, open water conditions.
Due to increased difficulty with head positioning. Tarzan can be hard to maintain and should be completed in shorter efforts (i.e. 15 meters). You can work up to 25 or 50 meters as you become more skilled with this drill.
Start swimming freestyle. After 4 strokes, lift your head with your eyes forward as if you are doing the Tarzan drill. Swim with your head out of the water for 4 strokes, breathing forward. Sight a target at the opposite end of the pool (i.e. buoy, water bottle, starting block) to maintain a steady head position. Return your head to a neutral position and continue swimming 4 strokes before repeating. Alternate between “head up” sighting and “head down” swimming in a continuous rhythm, breathing while your head is lifted (for drilling purposes).
This pool drill is a variation of Tarzan. It simulates sighting in open water, increases body awareness, and helps you become more comfortable lifting your head to navigate while swimming.
You can perform this drill in 25 to 50 meter sets and even progress to 100 meters over time.
Begin by swimming freestyle normally. After 3 to 5 strokes, lift your head slightly above the water with your eyes forward and nose under the water to sight a target at the opposite end of the pool. Glance forward quickly, return your head to a neutral position, and breathe to the side. Then take another 3 to 5 strokes and repeat.
Alligator Eyes is designed to improve open water sighting skills while minimizing disruptions to your stroke, reducing drag, and maintaining speed. It is more efficient than Tarzan and is great for sighting as you near your target (i.e. buoy) on race day.
You can perform this pool drill over a set distance such as 25 or 50 meters and even up to 100 meters depending on your training goals. It’s often incorporated into a larger set focused on open water skills.
Swim one lap of regular freestyle and count your strokes. On the second lap, reduce your stroke count by 3 strokes and try to swim in the middle of the lane with your eyes closed. As you perform this drill, make note of which direction you gravitate towards while swimming. If you gravitate to the right, you will need to sight more to the left in open water and vice versa.
It’s challenging to swim in a straight line in open water and can be easy to veer off course. To avoid swimming extra yardage and inducing panic. Use this drill to give you a better idea of which direction you swim with your eyes closed. Knowing which direction you veer towards will help you sight faster and more efficiently while racing. This drill is also a great way to identify imbalances in your stroke.
Complete this drill one lap at a time.
I hope these pool drills help you feel ready and confident on race day!
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