Just wondering what the general consensus is on whether breathing every stroke is good or bad. In age-group swimming back in the day it was frowned upon; watching the Trials, I've seen most of the top 200/400 free swimmers breathe every stroke. Is that recommended now?
If you breathe to one side all the time you can stop rotating to the other side which means you only really swim with power on one side.
As a single-side breather (to the right), this is my biggest issue. I don't have a lifetime of habit drilled into me developing good technique, and if I don't focus on rolling to the left, my right arm stroke can come up short on the catch. That said, I have never figured out breathing to the left. My stroke falls apart much worse when I try breathing to my left.
Contrast this with backstroke. I find it much easier to maintain decent form there, I suspect in large part because it's a much more symmetrical stroke for me.
If you breathe to one side all the time you can stop rotating to the other side which means you only really swim with power on one side.
As a single-side breather (to the right), this is my biggest issue. I don't have a lifetime of habit drilled into me developing good technique, and if I don't focus on rolling to the left, my right arm stroke can come up short on the catch. That said, I have never figured out breathing to the left. My stroke falls apart much worse when I try breathing to my left.
Contrast this with backstroke. I find it much easier to maintain decent form there, I suspect in large part because it's a much more symmetrical stroke for me.
