I was swimming laps yesterday and I overheard the swim coach tell the high school swim team that they should be swimming flat with no rotation of the hips. He told them that at no point they should not be kicking on their sides and that swimming flat decreases drag.
I've had one other person tell me the same thing when I first started swimming and I ended up with severe shoulder (rotator cuff) pain. It wasn't until I learned how to rotate from side to side that the pain resolved.
A lot of high school (and even some college) coaches are converted (pick any sport) coaches and have little formal swimming training.
My high school coach was a good example of that. At the final meet of my senior year, we beat our rivals; something we had not been able to do the previous two years. So, we threw our coach into the pool during the celebration- and found out our coach didn't know how to swim! :worms: She panicked and burst into tears as she clawed her way to the edge of the pool. We had no idea she was a gym teacher who got stuck with the swim team when nobody else wanted it. (No wonder I never learned strokes from her; I learned by watching the other breaststroker in my lane!)
A lot of high school (and even some college) coaches are converted (pick any sport) coaches and have little formal swimming training.
My high school coach was a good example of that. At the final meet of my senior year, we beat our rivals; something we had not been able to do the previous two years. So, we threw our coach into the pool during the celebration- and found out our coach didn't know how to swim! :worms: She panicked and burst into tears as she clawed her way to the edge of the pool. We had no idea she was a gym teacher who got stuck with the swim team when nobody else wanted it. (No wonder I never learned strokes from her; I learned by watching the other breaststroker in my lane!)
