In freestyle and backstroke, perhaps everyone has a favorite side to start the first stroke, either left arm, or right arm, making the first pull. How many can start on both sides equally well? Even if not equally well, how many can nonetheless make a fairly okay start on the weaker side? Do the professionals train on both sides?
I can start my pull on either arm, but I almost never do. I generally pull first with my left arm on free, which is my weaker side, but also the side to which I like to breathe.
I avoid backstroke & so I don't know about that - but after reading something about Phelps going into the turn with his last stroke on the left & then his first stroke out of the turn was on his left, I've been watching myself - and it doesn't matter which arm I start with, but I definitely am trying to come out of the turn pulling with the opposite arm that I ended with before the turn. (I take an odd number of strokes/lap - like 17) Did any of that make sense?
I've been told in free the first stroke should be with the arm on the side which is lower.
Agree, so it would depend on which side you rotate when leaving the wall. For me, it's the right side, also the side I usually breathe on.
I don't see any advantage of starting with one arm versus the other in backstroke, so I'm sure I always pull with the same arm at the breakout. In free I can use either. I try to always pull with my right arm first. This is because I breathe to the right, so by pulling with my right arm first it causes me to breathe on the second pull rather than the first. When I get really tired in practice I'll sometimes pull with my left arm first and breathe right away, but I really try to do this as little as possible.
I don't see any advantage of starting with one arm versus the other in backstroke, so I'm sure I always pull with the same arm at the breakout. In free I can use either. I try to always pull with my right arm first. This is because I breathe to the right, so by pulling with my right arm first it causes me to breathe on the second pull rather than the first. When I get really tired in practice I'll sometimes pull with my left arm first and breathe right away, but I really try to do this as little as possible.
This is my "normal" breakout. When I get tired, I streamline to the surface and I take a breath to the right as I'm starting my pull with my right hand. Coach really likes it when we do this. :afraid:
When I break out I lift the shoulder of the arm that pulls first (right, stronger, arm). When I turn, left side is down (rotating up) and right side is rotating down, but most of the time the left arm digs first
I've been told in free the first stroke should be with the arm on the side which is lower. Unless your Phelps, he pulls with the shoulder that was upper from the turn. But in his case it's not a transitional movement, for he's already done 10 meters on his belly.
I don't see any advantage of starting with one arm versus the other in backstroke, so I'm sure I always pull with the same arm at the breakout. In free I can use either. I try to always pull with my right arm first. This is because I breathe to the right, so by pulling with my right arm first it causes me to breathe on the second pull rather than the first. When I get really tired in practice I'll sometimes pull with my left arm first and breathe right away, but I really try to do this as little as possible.
On starts, I have no idea which arm I pull first with. Since I always come off the wall on my left side after a turn, that dictates my left (bottom) arm must pull first. I suspect, due to that habit, I probably always pull with the left first off a start too.
I took note today of what I actually do:
When I streamline off the wall for freestyle, I have my left hand on top and right hand underneath so pull with my right arm first.
When I turn I push off on my side, left down, right up, and still right hand underneath left so I SDK, rotate and pull with my right arm first.
Also on backstroke I start with my left hand on top of my right, so my right hand still pulls first. If you think about it, I've now switched hand positions as I'm now on my back!
