Drill of the Month – October 2024: Triple Tap Freestyle

SwimSwam is proud to present the Drill of the Month for August 2024. Drill of the Month is a SwimSwam recurring feature that brings drills and idea submissions from various creative and innovative coaches at every level all over the world.

October 2024’s Drill of the Month is “Triple Tap Freestyle,” a freestyle drill designed for developing a bigger recovery and longer reach. This is a relatively simple drill that can be done with swimmers of nearly any level, provided they are proficient in side flutter kick. For younger or less experienced swimmers, using fins will help to maintain a good bodyline and stay high in the water.

To do Triple Tap, the swimmer will take a pull with one arm, leaving the other arm out in front, which will create a side kick position. After the pull, the swimmer will recover their arm over the water and tap the water out in front of their body at full extension (or very close to it). Following the tap out in front, the swimmer then will reach back over the water and tap near their hip, then they complete the recovery by taking the arm forward again, pulling with the other arm, and repeating the process with the other arm. As a coach, you’ll want to make sure the swimmers aren’t rushing through the taps and that they’re reaching far in both directions.

Here is a video of the drill being done by a group of 10 & under swimmers from Club Wolverine.

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Ricky Craine
27 days ago

I watched a video of Phelps doing this drill awhile back and he made it look so smooth and easy…so I figured, why not try it? But, of course, it took me weeks until I got it satisfactorily done right every lap, lol.

Paul Windrath
27 days ago

I started doing this drill for my age group team in 1999. Called it the “ride ‘um cowboy” drill because I wanted them to slap their hip. Name is way more fun than Triple Tap. 🙂

It is an excellent drill for streamlining as well as encouraging a 6 beat kick.