While watching the swimming events in the Olympics last week, I started thinking about how different the freestyle stroke is (or should be) for Olympic sprinters and amateur triathletes.

Lately there has been a lot of fuss over swim drills. With the introduction of Total Immersion a few years back, people have been saying that swim drills are the hot new thing on the market. New?

Kicking/Lower Body Balance and Side Swimming Drill Progression

Application: poor horizontal position, "dragging the legs," caused by poor balance (has not found buoyancy "sweet spot.") and/or inefficient kick. Inefficient transfer from side to side, with too much "flat shoulder" swimming. If inefficient or ineffective kick, use Fin Progression below.

So you're ready to get out there and do some open water swimming to prepare for your next triathlon? Before you go dipping into your local body of water, keep these tips in mind:

Most sports come with injuries to accompany them. Although swimming is, by most standards, not a sport associated with high risk of injury, it does have it's own problems. By far the biggest source of sidelining swimming injuries is the shoulder.