In the search for your perfect arm recovery in freestyle, we’ll again stress how important experimentation is.  This drill encourages experimentation.

Start with three strokes of fingertip drag drill, then for three strokes, move the fingers slightly above the water for a more traditional recovery, then for the next three strokes, switch to a straight arm high recovery.

Repeat this process until you reach the end.  Breathe when you need air.

Alternating recovery styles can help you find the one that not only feels the best, but can also help you avoid injury.  By recovering the arm the same way, every day, over and over and over again, you may experience some soreness.  By varying how you recover every once in a while, you can switch the muscles you use, if even just slightly, for the recovery, and actually build a better more well-rounded shoulder muscle over time.

You can vary your recovery every three strokes, or two strokes, but find a pattern that works for you and step through.  Fingertip drag, fingers out of the water bent arm, then straight arm recovery.

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Recovery variation drill