Being well-rounded in the water is crucial for swimming—often rolling around in the pool can be incredibly effective.

•4 min read
Being well-rounded in the water is crucial for swimming—often rolling around in the pool can be incredibly effective.
Any sport, including swimming, requires rotational power to achieve outstanding performance. We’ve previously shared insights on generating force through twisting motions—specifically breaking down the precise mechanics of arm rotation during the pull phase. However, we didn’t delve into practical exercises designed to strengthen and enhance your body’s ability to generate rotational power. That’s why we’re now introducing an effective drill to improve your core strength and rotational control: the "rolling" exercise. When performing the roll, focus on a gentle, controlled leg kick—even though it’s called "leg kicking," what you’re really doing is pushing the water backward. Make sure to maintain a strong connection with the water throughout the motion. Additionally, remember to exhale steadily and avoid holding your breath while kicking.
1. Body Rotation Exercise
Keep your arms relaxed and naturally positioned at your sides, gently fluttering the water to propel yourself forward. Maintain a steady gaze toward the bottom of the pool while keeping your core engaged and your posture tight. With your head held still, alternate twisting your body smoothly from side to side—during each twist, notice how your arms and legs naturally follow the movement of your torso. Additionally, be mindful that after each twist, your lower back may subtly drop slightly downward. To counteract this, quicken your kick and actively engage your core muscles to prevent any loss of form. As you continue alternating these side-to-side rotations, you should feel parts of your shoulders and upper back briefly break the surface of the water. If you refine your balance even further, you’ll likely start noticing your hips emerging as well. When your hips rise high enough during the rotation to break the water’s surface, it signals that your hips are positioned optimally—higher in the water and closer to the surface. This is precisely the kind of poised, efficient posture that top swimmers naturally maintain.
2. Turn your body onto your back.

When performing the side-turn exercise and needing to breathe, use your core strength to twist your body into a back-facing position while keeping your head stable. Continue kicking your legs as you smoothly and naturally open your mouth to take a breath. As your body rotates, exhale steadily through your nose—this prevents water from entering your mouth or nostrils. Once you’ve finished breathing, resume the rotation and gently tuck your mouth and nose back underwater, continuing to exhale slowly and deliberately throughout the process.

When performing the backstroke kick, be careful not to let your feet break the surface of the water. Instead, fully leverage the joint flexibility unique to the backstroke kick—keep your feet flat—and focus on feeling how your feet and lower legs push the water backward.

3. Add the arm stroke movement as you start rotating your body.

When your body can roll freely in the water and breathing remains smooth and effortless, you can begin incorporating arm strokes into your rolling motion. However, after completing each stroke, your arms should not break the surface of the water—they should remain gently tucked along your sides. Then, as your body naturally shifts into the next side roll, switch to the other arm for the next stroke. While practicing, be sure to experiment deliberately with a variety of stroke techniques: try both straight-arm and high-elbow approaches, exploring the unique sensations of "catching" the water versus pushing it backward. Pay special attention to how the arm’s path—whether closer or farther from your body—and the angle between your forearm and upper arm change during the push phase. By moving slowly through these motions, you’ll gradually refine your technique, discovering the most efficient and effective way to propel yourself forward through the water.

Body-rolling exercises effectively enhance the connection between the upper and lower body, allowing swimmers to glide through freestyle with greater fluidity and power. Additionally, these exercises improve core strength coordination, helping swimmers develop a deeper awareness and understanding of how body rotation influences their arm strokes and leg kicks. As a result, athletes gain a more precise sense of how rotational movements transmit force and generate torque. In future kick and stroke practice sessions, be sure to leverage the natural advantage of using body rotation to maximize propulsion and efficiency.

Essentially, the straighter your body is, the easier it becomes to swim; the more solid and stable your body feels, the stronger the combined force generated by all your movements as you glide forward. When you master both a straight, efficient posture and a solid, grounded core, along with a steady head position, your body’s centerline will become increasingly clear—allowing you to move through the water with unwavering stability, much like a perfectly balanced kebab skewered securely on its stick.

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