Go Fast with Jessica Hardy

Important Note to the Viewer

LESSONS: 47 VIDEOS

Freestyle Flip Turn

Jessica shares her thoughts on her freestyle flip turns.

Breaststroke Extension

Jessica shares her thoughts about her recovery and extension in breaststroke.

Freestyle Extension - Jessica

Jessica shares her thoughts on her freestyle recovery and extension. Why she uses a straight arm recovery and enters the water further extended than most swimmers.

Breaststroke Hands

Jessica shares her thoughts on using her hands in breaststroke.

Freestyle Hands

Jessica shares her thoughts on how to use her hands in freestyle.

Sculling with Eggbeater Kick

Jessica shows one of her favorite drills for breaststroke, and coordination.

Head-Up Breaststroke - Jessica

Another drill that I enjoy for breaststroke is head up with a small, quick kick. This is very much a speed-driven drill. You have to have high tempo in order not to sink. You have to focus on your catch, and keeping your kick very quick in order not to fall.

Breaststroke - Fist Drill

Another favorite breaststroke drill is swimming breaststroke with fist hands, which takes away the catch element of your hands when they’re pulling through the water. It really emphasizes the roll through your lower back and the strength of your kick so you don’t start sinking You have to focus on using your entire forearm to catch water.

One Up/Two Under Breaststroke Drill

One of my favorite breaststroke drills is One Up/Two Under. It’s taking one stroke at the surface...and then two kicks under water. It helps you to lengthen your stroke and find your body position in the water. It emphasizes the power of the kick, setting up into one perfect stroke on the surface.

Kick Pull Roll Freestyle Drill

Another drill that I like to do for freestyle is kicking with one arm above your head in the recovery position...and then you pull through the water while you’re kicking and you roll. The point of kicking with your arm above your head in the recovery position...and then pulling and rolling...is to set up your body for that initial rotation into the catch. It connects the entire rotation into your catch. You take the time to set it up while you’re kicking, and spend the time to think about each arm.

Super Slow Starts - Reference Video

Some various angles of Jessica's start, slowed so we can see as much detail as possible. This short video is perfect for watching on your smart phone.

Head-Up Freestyle

Another drill that I like to do for freestyle is Head-Up Freestyle. It’s more of an emphasis on extreme speed... ...without having to worry about body rotation. The point of the Head-Up drill is to focus on your initial catch. If you catch the water right away, it will keep your body at the surface of the water, which is hard to do and a great challenge, but you really do feel the beginning of your catch.