Water polo eggbeater might be the oddest movement in any sport because it cannot generate propulsion on land. All muscles used for eggbeater are initially underdeveloped in new players because there is no dryland movement that replicates the eggbeater motion. Specifically, dozens of muscles are attempting to contract in a pattern that does not exist. The following sequence improves muscular development and technical proficiency by addressing many of the critical weaknesses found in athletes attempting the eggbeater movement. New athletes should perform 2-3 of these exercises daily to improve ..read more

The following dynamic dryland stretching routine is designed to prepare the body for water polo movements. Dynamic dryland stretching is used to lubricate the joints and warm up the muscles prior to jumping into the pool. Remember, static stretching, in which you hold a stretch position for longer than 5 seconds, should never be attempted until after a complete pool warm-up or at the end of practice. The hand stretch is a very underutilized method of preparing the hand and forearm to catch and throw a water polo ball. Place the thumb in a groove and attempt to grab the ball with the fin ..read more

The following 4 movements are performed to activate key muscles groups used during water polo. These exercises can be performed before or after dynamic dryland stretching. These movements don’t require any equipment and this muscle activation routine can be performed every day. Set an interval timer to 15 seconds and begin each movement when the timer sounds. 4-10 cycles should be performed before practices and 4 cycles should be performed before a game as part of the pre-game warmup.   Flutter kicks should be performed for 5 Seconds and the kicks should be as fast as possible. This m ..read more

Coaches know it is extremely important to use correct terminology. A major problem with most sports training content on the internet is the loose standard for terms used to describe training effects. The term “strength” refers to the application of force independent of time or distance. Strength is used correctly for events requiring the maximum application of force to complete one action, such as a barbell bench press, but it is not the correct term to use when referring to one athlete overcoming the abilities of another athlete in a timed event.  Usually, “arm strength” is used when e ..read more

PBIT might be considered an overarching term for training that includes USPRT for swimming and USWPT for water polo. PBIT can also be used for run training but very little personal research has been conducted or applied to running in this instance. This article will focus on PBIT in terms of resistance training or performing bodyweight exercises. This article continues at Water Polo Planet ..read more

Ultra-short Race-pace Training (USRPT) is a set of swim training principles researched, developed and articulated by Dr. Brent Rushall during his decades-long career coaching swimming and performing scientific studies. The results of dozens of tests are posted in his database "Swimming Science Bulletin" and I would refer you to this short article as a primer, "The Mechanisms of Ultra-Short Training". If this is not adequate in depth I would advise the longer, "Swimming Energy Training in the 21st Century". These methods have been proposed for water polo before (Water Polo Training Ba ..read more

Now that you have mastered some of the basic head-up drills in Head-up Water Polo Technique Part 1 you can start training your transitions. In a water polo game you will perform a water polo transition from swimming to eggbeater, or vice versa, at least two times each possession. From your defensive end, you will perform a water polo start and swim to the offensive end where you will transition back to eggbeater. You may catch a pass early in the counterattack and then pass and swim to another position. You may also initiate a drive in your half-court and end the drive by kicking-up to catch ..read more

"Because there are no predetermined solutions to problems, [sic] leaders must adapt their  thinking, formations, and employment techniques to the specific situation they face. This  requires an adaptable and innovative mind, a willingness to accept prudent risk in  unfamiliar or rapidly changing situations, and an ability to adjust based on continuous  assessment."  - Foreword, Army Leadership ADP 6-22 Many of coaches talk about the delegation of responsibility they give to their team captains:  "When a captain tells you to do something he speaks for the c ..read more

Previously, we looked at creating a daily water polo practice plan using backward planning based on identifying a tactical goal for the practice. In this post we will look at the other two parts of overall planning by creating a mid-term (operational) and seasonal (strategic) plan. Refer to Creating a Water Polo Practice, Part 1 for guidelines and terminology. Your weekly plan should take into account your total available pool time, dryland time assigned to the week, and games scheduled. Let's look at three common situations: Hell-week, pre-league weeks, and league weeks. Create tactical goal ..read more

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the USAWP Coaches Clinic in Riverside, CA and was honored to have lunch with the coach instructor, Dante Dettamanti. We discussed many topics over the 2-day clinic including offensive and defensive schemes, practice plans, and good-old polo stories. But, most importantly, we discussed creativity. Read the rest of the article at: Water Polo Planet ..read more