I am getting back into swimming after being in competitive swimming 20 years ago and I find when I am swimming freestyle, I do cup my hands but my middle is sinking. Any tips?
No need to cup your hands,a flat hand will push more water (think paddle,not cup). As to the sinking middle,there are many causes of that and without seeing your stroke (you can post a video) I am not sure what to recommend.
I agree with Allen for sure but it does sound like you may need to work on your core strength. When swimming freestyle imagine your body in a straight line, slipping through a thin tube and stuck on a spit. While stroking your body rotates back and forth on this spit in a straight line. To maintain this straight body line you must have good control and strength in your core. Last week a series of core exercises for swimmers was posted on the USMS webpage. Go back to the main page and scroll through the articles till you find it. I promise these exercises won't hurt your swimming no matter what. This would be a great place to start.
I do need to work on my core. I was also told to not rotate my head so much but I find it hard not to. I signed up for a private swim lesson with a coach:)
I agree with Allen for sure but it does sound like you may need to work on your core strength. When swimming freestyle imagine your body in a straight line, slipping through a thin tube and stuck on a spit. While stroking your body rotates back and forth on this spit in a straight line. To maintain this straight body line you must have good control and strength in your core. Last week a series of core exercises for swimmers was posted on the USMS webpage. Go back to the main page and scroll through the articles till you find it. I promise these exercises won't hurt your swimming no matter what. This would be a great place to start.
Good luck and have fun Elissa. You will find that all swimmers are always working on something with their stroke. I think the mindfulness of swimming is good for our brains!! :)
If by "my middle is sinking" you are referring to your hips (and below) being way underwater, there is no relationship between your hand shape and your sinking. As mentioned, you need to have good body position on the surface: you want to be flat (-) not a backslash (/). Also as mentioned, there's a lot of core strength involved there - as well as kick. Everyone forgets the legs! Kick doesn't need to be huge, but needs to be consistent and strong. There are some great underwater shots in this video of the 2012 Olympics women's 800 free that show some great body position AND the various kick cadences used during a race.www.youtube.com/watch
