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Training Tuesday: Sculling with Cody Beals

VIDEO: Beals demonstrates the sculling swim drill.

Triathletes are constantly told to practice swim drills to get better and faster in the water, but which swim drills are the most effective and how exactly should you practice them? As part of our Training Tuesday series, we asked half-distance specialist Cody Beals to share the drills that have helped him improve his swim, an area he sees lots of room for improvement in with his own training.

One of Beals’ essential drills is sculling. He demonstrates the drill in the video above, but here’s some info about its usefulness:

  • it increases your feel for the water, a term some coaches use to describe gaining traction on a fluid and translating it into efficient, forward motion
  • it builds forearm strength, which is vital in developing a strong catch
  • it requires you pay close attention to your body position. You can use a pull buoy to help keep your legs up, you can practice a light kick, or as you develop the strength of your scull you can rely on the force you generate from the drill to keep your body afloat in the water.

Check back here every Tuesday for more training tips and videos, including the rest of Beals’ drills series.