I have found that one of the crucial reasons for my bad strokes is rooted in the asymmetry of my habitual muscle usage, i.e. being used to throw things with right hand/arm. The right hand/arm/shoulder are not only stronger but also more flexible and "knows" how to move and exert the muscles. I assume professional swimmers do a lot of training to strengthen their weak side? What are the most effective ways/exercises to do it?
To be honest, I've never heard of anyone doing something specifically to train their weak side. I agree with Julia that you should strive for symmetry, but both arms need to be incorporated to achieve this.
To work on our weak pull side our coach occasionally has us do drill sets with a paddle on our weak side arm and a fin on the strong side to keep the overall stroke balanced. It works surprising well. In my case that means a paddle on my left hand and a fin on my right foot.
Mark
To be honest, I've never heard of anyone doing something specifically to train their weak side. I agree with Julia that you should strive for symmetry, but both arms need to be incorporated to achieve this.
To work on our weak pull side our coach occasionally has us do drill sets with a paddle on our weak side arm and a fin on the strong side to keep the overall stroke balanced. It works surprising well. In my case that means a paddle on my left hand and a fin on my right foot.
Mark
