Скачать или смотреть 6-1-6 with the breath before

6-1-6 is a classic drill: six kicks, one stroke, repeat. We like to use different variations of this drill, but this is probably my favourite. It's all about the timing, and in particular the timing of the catch and the breath. So many swimmers we see either breathe too late, or catch too early and/or too quickly, or a combination of both. If you're used to completing this drill with a breath after the stroke, it can take a bit of getting used to, but it's so worth it.
Kick on your longitudinal axis (side kicking - see this video for details    • Side kicking with fins  ) with fins. Turn your head to the side (chin to shoulder) to breathe, and (here's the key), AT THE SAME TIME as you return your head to the midline in the water, CATCH the water with the lead arm, and recover your other arm over the water, continuing on to take a full stroke, switching you to the other longitudinal axis, voila.
So, it's a progression from side kicking, but it's in particular a progression from our Side Kicking Plus Catch drill    • Side kicking plus catch  . 6-1-6 with the breath before the stroke follows on very nicely. As an aside, Unco also follows on very naturally from Side Kicking Plus Catch too (   • Unco drill  ) but I digress.
Some key points:
If you find yourself breathing again after the stroke (automatically), don't worry; this is really common if you're used to performing the drill with a breath after the stroke. Just reset yourself, return your head to the water, count a few kicks and then re-start the next drill cycle with a breath
Lead arm too high (yes, I do this in the video, my bad) - or more accurately, lead hand and wrist too high. Fingertips should be angled slightly below the wrist, your elbow should be higher than your wrist.
Don't worry too much about the recovering arm - for most people it happens automatically as you start the catch on the lead arm. If it doesn't, you can try the "Catch and lift" drill first    • Catch and Lift drill   to reinforce that timing. Just remember you're taking a full stroke to swap sides, and the other arm needs to join the party too!
6 kicks is not a magic number - it's just enough time to reset, without being too long that you don't get to practise the drill cycle enough. Don't stress the counting.
When you make the catch with the lead arm (as you are returning your face to the water), also feel for your opposite hip (cross-body connection, catch to opposite hip, yay) to generate the rotation rippling through your whole torso, to get you over to the opposite longitudinal axis (and importantly, to transmit POWER in your pull through)
It's a lovely drill, that once you get the hang of it, will really help your rhythm and timing when you swim afterwards. As with most drills, to get the most benefit, ideally perform a length of drill and then immediately push off into a length of swimming where you focus on the key elements of the drill (breath to catch timing and cross-body connection).