Freestyle criticism needed! **Video Included**

Any chance you can get somebody else to video you? I could not find one video in your list that adequately showed your stroke, except for the recovery. :dunno: In one of them, all I saw was splashing; I could not see your stroke at all. :notworking: And, the race video was too wide angle; you were tiny to see well. There are several forumites who I am sure would be happy to provide constructive criticism of your stroke, however, they need to see your stroke. Try to get something like this for your video (except for the beginning, when I first got up on the block :blush:): http://youtu.be/PlpUI22zuwc :2cents:

... 50 fr - 7/23/10 - untapered 26.56 100 fr - 5/21/11 - tapered 57.94 26.66 31.28 200 fr - 3/15/12 - untapered 2:09.45 26.11, 34.12 33.11, 36.11 500 fr 6:11.95 - 7/23/10 - tapered 30.79 34.60 37.33 37.82 38.13 38.78 39.03 39.26 39.26 36.95 Alex, I'm not sure about your stroke technique, but IMO you can see some big benefit from better splitting! There is nearly a 5s difference between your frirst and second 50s in you 100. That should be under 2s. ...And your 200 splits just keep getting slower. Out in a 26 home in a 36? That will not get it done. I know it's hard to hold back when you want to go fast and win races, but really, it looks to me like you are going out way too hard. Check out the splitting advise here: U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums - View Single Post - How do you swim a 200 yard free? Maybe you are thinking, "if I get in better shape the back half will be faster". Don't. That kind of thinking will sink you. If you get in better shape, you'll take it out even faster and have the same problem. You CAN swim a 200 a LOT faster with better splitting. Learn to take it easy for 75 or so. Go for that extra gear later in the race. Good luck. IMO, you definitely have the raw speed to go 2 double oh in the 200, if you swim smart.

Check out the splitting advise here: U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums - View Single Post - How do you swim a 200 yard free? You CAN swim a 200 a LOT faster with better splitting. Learn to take it easy for 75 or so. Go for that extra gear later in the race. Good luck. IMO, you definitely have the raw speed to go 2 double oh in the 200, if you swim smart. I agree with Karl. In talking with the high school swimmers in my town this winter, their coach did not have a real plan on how to swim races. "Go AFAP in the 100 Free" is what every kid told me. I suggested to one guy that he swim it differently, and he dropped 1.5 seconds (went under 56) and got a golds cut. Be strong, but don't sprint the first half of the race. It feels weird, but the time at the end will surprise you.

@ElaineKU.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums I will definitely get some better footage my next swim! :) You might want to have somebody shoot you at this angle: http://youtu.be/4ROFKO0Zrv0 My husband shot this of me swimming EZ free and it shows the path of my arms through the water. He also shot a straight-on view of my "sprint" (such as it is; it was the end of my workout, 6th day in a row...): http://youtu.be/yFsUeD1Zwuo Shooting from above will cut out a lot of the glare to show what's happening underwater. And, zooming in tight will show detail. Just don't have your videographer zoom in too tight, like in the EZ swim video where my feet got cut off! :D

@ElaineKU.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums I will definitely get some better footage my next swim! :) @ U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums and rxleakemU.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums Yes I do agree with my splitting problem. I dont think that's a problem in my recent 500's, but I'll try to get splits my next meet. In my last 200 though my first 50 did feel really relaxed but obviously not if I went a 26. We'll see.