I am swimming with a new coach and she is quite adamant that my breathe every stroke rhythm is holding me back and I *might* hyperventilate. I look at breathing as a choice. I don't breathe every time my head comes up, but rather do it for rhythm. As in head down strokes tend to lead to my hips dropping later in a race. So, I find the head up every stroke helps me with that.
Is there any other reason why I *need* to take a head down stroke that she isn't explaining to me? I'm almost getting to the point where I'm tuning her out unfortunately, but if it's simply a 'hyperventilate' mantra it makes zero sense b/c bringing ones head up doesn't necessitate a breath.
Is the only reason to take a head down stroke to avoid hyperventilating? I have asked her this question and received 'yes', but would like to hear from the forum brain trust on this. Thank you! If this is a technique issue by lowering the head that will make me faster I'm all for it, but I want to hear the how and why b/f I potentially disrupt the rhythm of my stroke.
Former Member
Does the fact that I fight my hips dropping on longer sets when head down breathing indicate anything technique wise? Head up is just so 'normal' for me that whatever hip drop I get I compensate with my kick to offset. When I go head down it's so foreign I just feel as if I lose my connection a bit. On 50's my head up is ~ 2 seconds faster than utilizing a 2 down 1 up or 2 up 1 down.
I'd be thrilled to find a technique issue to fix for more speed, but breathing more head down only slows me down so sayeth the stop watch.
Just how big is your head if it creates that much drag????
Let's not beat around the bush here. The idea that you could hyperventilate by breathing every stroke in butterfly is completely ridiculous. The reason not to breathe every stroke is to keep your hips and legs up. If you raise your head your lower body has to go down. This increases drag by increasing your frontal area. Good kicking and just getting your chin above water helps this, but there's no way you can lift your head and not affect the position of your lower body at least a little bit.
I never contemplate either, i just breathe to the side in fly, despite everyone saying how wrong it is. Doing so keeps me from going vertical and is a lot more comfortable.
There is absolutely no way you can ever hyperventilate swimming butterfly.
I was taught head down to keep hips up and stay flatter in the water. If you have a strong enough second kick and finish with your hands, there may be no benefit to keeping the head down. In that case breathe away.
I would desperately love to be able to breathe every stroke, but my stroke shortens and I tip vertically. One of my primary goals in the next few months is to fix my Fly enough to be able to breathe every stroke.
play the Masters card .
I tried that last week with a new assistant coach who's fresh out of college. Told him everyone over 40 grew up doing one hand touches in Fly. He didn't buy it.
I agree with the other posters that hyperventilation is not very likely, but what the coach may be talking about is inadequate air exchange when you breath too often. It never happens to me in long axis strokes, but sometimes on short axis strokes (especially *** stroke during an IM) I won't breath out fully on each stroke cycle and get the feeling of not getting enough oxygen. I have to concentrate on fully expressing all my air befor breathing in. It has also happened to me on butterfly when I breath every stroke, but more rarely. Just a thought.
This is what I do.
Since the comments seem to be all over the map, I will throw in some more. Michael Phelps breathes every stroke and has not reported any ill effects. In fact, he was taught to breathe every stroke in order to simplify his overall stroke and have a consistent body position. Now you could try the same thing, but you need to remember that his kick is astounding. If your kick is so good that the arms are just there for show, go ahead and breathe as often as you like.
Head position is also important, as has been touched upon here, but not clarified. Breathing with your head in a position to see the other wall or starting blocks is not good. Every breath you take should be with the head in a neutral position, looking down at the water rather than ahead at a wall that is not going anywhere. A weak kick will result in water intake instead of air.
Older Flyers will still swim with one up one down breathing, but it really isn't very difficult to breather every stroke with some practice. hyperventilating is the least of any possible problem you might have. In fact, if you feel light headed or dizzy after swimming fly, it is most probably because you are holding your breath, not breathing too much.
Just how big is your head if it creates that much drag????
I guess I never thought of it being a drag issue, but more that it disrupted my rhythm. Just so used to head up that anything different changes the feel of how my body flows.
