1. Masters Swimming NSW Fun Sets For Coaches
6 fun sets for coaches to challenge their swim squads
One or more slides contains animations, so you must run this presentation on a Windows PC .
By Greg Gourley
Tuggeranong Masters Swimming Club (NTN)

2. Instructions
You need to view this presentation as a slideshow. When you are in slideshow mode, you will not see any menus. If you can see menus, then, on the high level menu select “Slide Show” and then on the sub-menu select “From Beginning”.
When in slideshow mode, pressing the Space Bar will take you to the next slide. You can also use the Up and Down arrows to move forward and backwards through the slides.
To exit slideshow mode press Escape.

3. Delivering these sets
It is always a challenge to deliver sets such as these to swimmers who may be hard of hearing, may be wearing ear plugs, may have ears full of water or may not be paying attention.
The skill for you is to describe the sets in a manner that is both concise and simple.
These sets are somewhat difficult and wordy to describe, however they are generally simple to deliver.
Initially, I recommend delivering these sets to one or two lanes only and not to the whole squad.
Good luck 

4. Set Index 1. Challenge Relay 2. Challenge Relay – with mingling
3. Pursuit version 1 – with the Hare and the Hounds
4. Pursuit version 2 – with the Hare and reversed order Hounds
5. Lead Swap Swim
6. Alternate Swimmers

5. 1. Challenge Relay 1 2 3 Contains Animations Aim Description F GO
To challenge one or more of your faster swimmers (red cap) against a group of slower swimmers (green, yellow and blue caps)
Tried and tested in a 25 metre pool, a 50 metre pool would make it more challenging.
Can be any stroke, IM or even kicking. Place one or two of your faster (challenged) swimmer(s) in a lane by themselves (red cap in this example) , place 3 slower swimmers in an adjacent lane as shown.
The slower swimmers swim twice each in relay sequence i.e. 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, then finish with 3. Each slow swimmers swims 2 x 25 metres in this example and the fast swimmer(s) swim 150 metres.
On a start whistle both swimmers 1 and F start.
Press the space bar to see the animation for this set
To make the swimmers finish together, or to increase the challenge, handicaps can be added, fins can be allowed for one or more swimmers.
Alternatively a swimmers stroke can be changed. 1 2 3 F 1 2 3 GO
Back to index

6. No Animations
1. Challenge Relay – sample set actually used – note: includes handicap start
Back to index

7. 2. Challenge Relay – with mingling
Contains Animations
2. Challenge Relay – with mingling
Aim
Description
To mingle your fast, medium and slow swimmers into a relay team and to get multiple relay teams to compete against each other.
This is a variation of the Challenge Relay describe earlier
The variation recommends that you make up each relay lane of swimmers with swimmers of differing standards.
This set has been run with the Tuggeranong squad many times, At Tuggeranong in normal training we place the slower swimmers in lane 1, faster in lane 2, and etc up to the fastest in say lane 6.
To select the relay teams and to mingle the swimmers, for example if in the relay we are going to run as 4 lanes of 3 swimmers, then starting at your fastest lane (lane 6) and working down to lane 1, the swimmers are given a relay lane number.
With the instructions below, you will be numbering all the swimmers in the fastest lane, then all the swimmers in the next fastest lane and so on.
So starting with your fastest swimmer, you point to them and say 1 (for lane 1), next swimmer 2 (for lane 2), next swimmer 3 (you guessed it for lane 3), next swimmer 4 (for lane 4) then continue with your remaining swimmers but go back to 1, 2, 3, 4 and then back to 1, 2, 3, 4.
So now you have your 12 swimmers allocated to lanes 1-4. Ask them to relocate and to chose who goes first, second and third, note number 2 swimmers swims to the far end before the relay starts.
You may consider asking the fastest swimmer in each lane to swim a more difficult stoke or to allow the slower swimmers to wear fins.
If you have additional swimmers but not enough to make up a relay team, then they can swim solo as per the fastest swimmer described in the 1. Challenge Relay.
If you decide to run this relay multiple times, you may consider cycling swimmers one at a time from a relay team, to be the extra swimmer that swims solo.

8. 3. Pursuit Version 1 – with the Hare and the Hounds
No Animations
3. Pursuit Version 1 – with the Hare and the Hounds
Aim
Description
To challenge a swimmer (the hare) to not be caught by a team of swimmers (the hounds).
Tried and tested in a 25 metre pool, will work the same in a 50 metre pool.
Usually done as freestyle. Best done if the chosen hare is a distance swimmer.
Lets assume that you have 4 swimmers in a lane. You set the maximum swim distance to say 400 metres.
One swimmer (the hare) starts swimming and is given a head start, in this case 25 metres.
After the hare reaches the 25 metre mark the hounds head off in pursuit, swimming say 5 seconds apart.
Hounds swim in order as most capable swimmer first down to least capable swimmer last.
The hounds are permitted to draft.
It’s the job of the hounds to catch the hare before the hare achieves 400 metres, likewise the hare has to keep ahead of the hound until achieving 400 metres.
If the hounds catch the hare before achieving 400 metres the event is over, you may chose to have a rest and rerun the event with a different lead time, or to allow the hare to wear fins etc.
The result is, everyone works hard.
An option is, if the lead hound commences to slow things up, they stop at a turn and let the rest of the hounds pass, they then go as the tail hound, letting number 2 hound continue the pursuit.
Back to index

9. 4. Pursuit version 2 – with the Hare and reversed order Hounds
No Animations
4. Pursuit version 2 – with the Hare and reversed order Hounds
Aim
Description
To be a fun set where swimmers work hard and enjoy it.
Tried and tested in a 25 metre pool, will work the same in a 50 metre pool.
Usually done as freestyle
This set is very similar to Pursuit version 1, however in this version the hounds swim with their least distance capable swimmer first and their most distance capable distance swimmer last, as the event runs which ever hound is leading can retire and let the remaining hounds continue the pursuit. Eventually only the hare and the fastest hound remains in the event.
The hounds are permitted to draft. All but the last hound is expected to burnout / retire during the chase.
Lets assume that you have 4 swimmers in a lane. You set the maximum swim distance to say 400 metres.
One swimmer (the hare) starts swimming and is given a head start, in this case 25 metres.
After the hare reaches the 25 metre mark the hounds (in the swim order described above) head off in pursuit, swimming say 5 seconds apart.
It’s the job of the hounds to catch the hare before the hare achieves 400 metres, likewise the hare has to keep ahead of the hound until achieving 400 metres.
If the hounds catch the hare before achieving 400 metres the event is over, you may chose to have a rest and rerun the event with a different lead time, or to allow the hare to wear fins etc.
If / when the lead hound tires, they can stop at a turn and let the remaining hounds continue. The hound that stopped is out of the event and exits the pool. Eventually your fastest hound chases the hare.
The result is, everyone works hard.
Back to index

10. 5. Lead Swap Swim No Animations Aim Description Back to index
To challenge a swimmer (the hare) not to be caught by a team of swimmers (the hounds).
Running a 800 or a 1500 in training is often not well received, however, when you ask your swimmers to swim these distances in this format it is usually well received.
Tried and tested in a 25 metre pool, will work the same in a 50 metre pool.
Usually done as freestyle.
Lets assume that you have 4 swimmers in a lane. You set the maximum swim distance to say 800 metres.
Note: The lead swimmer is to always sprint, since the lead keeps changing each swimmer gets the opportunity to sprint and then to draft ( depending on your setoff interval).
Decide on which distance you want swimmers to change the lead, e.g. change every 50 metres.
On the whistle the swimmers set off – lead swimmer sprinting, the rest of the swimmers follow with your setoff interval e.g. 5 or 10 second interval (time between each swimmer).
Once the lead swimmers reaches the distance to swap the lead ( 50 metres in this example), they stop to the left of the lane, let the other swimmers swim through, then they go as the tail swimmer. The lead has changed and the lead swimmer should be sprinting.
Likewise once swimmer 2 has reached the distance to change the lead (sprinted 50m – which is 100 metres into the 800 metre swim) , they swim to the left and stop, let the other swimmers through and then go as tail swimmer. Swimmer 3 is now sprinting etc etc.
Back to index

11. 6. Alternate Swimmers No Animations Aim Description Back to index
Good short distance race preparation or high intensity set.
Can vary the Work to Rest ratio by varying the number of swimmers in each lane.
Tried and tested in a 25 metre pool, will work the same in a 50 metre pool.
Can be done as any stroke including IM or kicking.
Before you start, determine how many up and back laps each swimmer will swim, e.g. 8 ( meaning each swimmer swims 8 times).
Allocate 2 swimmers to each lane
On the start whistle, one swimmer in each lane sprints up and back ( i.e. 2 laps to return to the start position – that’s one swim).
When the swimmers returns and touches the wall, the second swimmer does their swim – sprinting.
Likewise when swimmer 2 returns, swimmer 1 does their second swim and so on.
Lanes compete against each other.
You can also use handicap starts, challenge faster lanes with form strokes or allow slower teams to wear fins.
With 2 swimmers per lane you get an approximate work to rest ratio of 1:1, if you add a 3rd swimmer to each lane, the work to rest ratio becomes 1:2, 4th swimmers = 1:3 . You may wish to add more swimmers to each lane if you want the swimmers to swim all out or at race pace.
Back to index

12. Conclusion
Its often a challenge to add spice and variety to swim training sets. Regular repeats distances, pyramids, ladders etc can become monotonous.
Hopefully the sets in this presentation will introduce something new to your squads or trigger you to create new and more interesting sets.
Increasing a coaches catalogue of sets benefits everyone.
I hope you are willing to share your sets.
If you have any questions, I can be contract at
Good luck 