Mastering the Torpedo for Improved Swimming Efficiency

Introduction:

The Torpedo drill in swimming might seem brief, but its impact is profound. Practicing it, even for a few times, can immensely improve your Balance and Core Stability, forming the bedrock of an efficient swimming stroke. The beauty of the Torpedo lies in its simplicity, which allows you to focus intently on several key mini-skills.

The Key Mini-Skills: The Torpedo drill helps you master a 'weightless' head, head-spine alignment, and an engaged core. By isolating your head in front, you can become more aware of maintaining an aligned and neutral head position, a skill that becomes crucial in subsequent steps. It also promotes better awareness of activating core muscles, necessary for maintaining a sleek, stable body position when you start moving your arms and legs.

 

Torpedo Rehearsal:

1. Stand tall with feet together, maintaining your best posture.
2. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your head neutral without lifting or tucking your chin.
3. Imagine wearing 'cargo' jeans with pockets on the front. Reach your hands down your thighs as if to reach deep into those pockets.
4. Pull your navel to your spine, lightly press your legs together.

During this rehearsal, try to remember the feeling of a straight, strong bodyline with an engaged core.

Torpedo Practice with a Glide:

1. Push gently into a surface glide without plunging underwater.
2. Your legs will sink gradually as glide slows. Keep the head-spine alignment.
3. To increase glide and slow your legs from sinking, hold your legs together.
4. When you lose momentum, stand for a breather and mental reset, then push into glide again.

Torpedo Checklist:

1. Head: Let the water support or cushion it.
2. Arms: Push hands deep in Cargo Pockets.
3. Core: Pull navel toward spine.
4. Legs: Press together and lengthen.
5. Bodyline: Maintain the strong posture from your rehearsal.

Torpedo Practice with a Flutter: Add a flutter kick to Torpedo to gain a few seconds to memorize key focal points and sensations. However, don't turn this into a kicking exercise! Keep the kick small, gentle, and quiet.

Torpedo Partner Practice: Partner-assisted practice can significantly enhance the learning of key skills because the hands-on cues from the assisting partner provide the most accurate feel for correct positions, and being towed or supported allows the practicing partner more time to memorize key sensations.

There are two ways to assist:

1. Tow from Head: Cradle the head as shown, check that only the rear third of the head is visible above surface, gently release any tension, and walk backward while towing at a pace sufficient to keep the body balanced.
2. Support Feet: Lightly support (don't lift) feet, observe head-to-toe alignment, ensure that legs are pressed together, then push into glide.

Torpedo Practice Tips:

1. Repeat Gliding Torpedo four or more times, aiming to glide a little farther each time.
2. Keeping the head and spine aligned and legs together should help increase glide distance.
3. Repeat Torpedo with Flutter two to four times, performing a head-to-toe scan of items on the checklist.

Once you've memorized the feeling of a weightless head, an engaged core, and streamlined legs, you're ready to proceed to the Superman drill. Don't hesitate to revisit Torpedo anytime to refresh those sensations either between repeats of Superman or before Whole Stroke repeats.