Good obervation re: head position. It does look odd now that I see it. I was aiming for a hyper-streamline swimswam.com/.../, but maybe it’s too hyper-streamlined.
Stroke count... with a dolphin kick to the 10 yard mark I can do the first 25 yards in 15-16 strokes, and maybe the 2nd 25 yard in 17, assuming they’re 50s. Any distance over 50 yards, and stroke count increases to 19+-1.
I would say say my freestyle is all pull, finishing at my waistline, and no push. I’ll try to incorporate a longer pull/push stroke...maybe that will lower the number of strokes as well.
About the 6 beat kick... it takes so much energy.... however I swim faster with a kick than if I were to pull only, so I’m definitely relying a lot on my kick.
The thing I notice about the majority of swimmers who have the 2 beat kick (mostly males) is that they can sustain their pace and don’t seem to get as winded by longer distances. I struggle with sustaining my pace with sets of 100s... was wondering if I should try learning a 2 beat kick instead of doing the 6 beat.
Thanks!
The key to correct head position in the push off and dive is to squeeze your ears with your upper arms. In the SwimSwam video it is hard to tell if he is doing that. You are clearly keeping your head below your arms.
Your stroke count for the first 50 seems pretty good, 19+ after 50 yards, not so good. I mentioned stroke count because that is a good way to measure if changes in your stroke are making a difference. Pulling more water behind you and being more streamlined should result in fewer strokes per length.
Incorporating a longer pull/push will lower the stroke count by your moving more water behind you on each stroke...a good thing. You will feel it in the triceps and it will feel akward for a while. Also, when in an all-out sprint, you will not be pushing all the way back, but you should be pushing back more than you now are doing. Those going the fastest are not only better streamlined, but also pullling and pushing more water behind than anyone else. Thus the concept of high elbow catch. A high elbow catch gets your hand and forearm quickly in position to grab the water and pull it back. I can't tell for sure from your video, but it appears that when your hand enters the water it is goiing more or less straight down before you get into the actual pull. You need to get in position to be pulling water behind you as quickly as possible (high elbow). Pushing straight down in the beginning of the stroke only raises your body in the water rather than pulling the water behind you.
If you are pulling without a pull bouy your legs probably sink somewhat and cause more drag so the kick helps to keep your legs up. Some coaches believe that the flutter kick is not propulsive. What the kick does do is keep you balanced in the water. The other swimmers in your video are getting a lot of drag from their kicks as their legs are extending beyond the "tube" you should be swimming in. A four beat kick is fine and a 6 beat kick seems to be a natural number that people do, three kicks on each stroke (arm).
If you are going to be a distance swimmer, you can still do a 6 beat kick, just not as hard. If mid distance and below you should be doing at least 4 beat and likely 6 beat.
Good obervation re: head position. It does look odd now that I see it. I was aiming for a hyper-streamline swimswam.com/.../, but maybe it’s too hyper-streamlined.
Stroke count... with a dolphin kick to the 10 yard mark I can do the first 25 yards in 15-16 strokes, and maybe the 2nd 25 yard in 17, assuming they’re 50s. Any distance over 50 yards, and stroke count increases to 19+-1.
I would say say my freestyle is all pull, finishing at my waistline, and no push. I’ll try to incorporate a longer pull/push stroke...maybe that will lower the number of strokes as well.
About the 6 beat kick... it takes so much energy.... however I swim faster with a kick than if I were to pull only, so I’m definitely relying a lot on my kick.
The thing I notice about the majority of swimmers who have the 2 beat kick (mostly males) is that they can sustain their pace and don’t seem to get as winded by longer distances. I struggle with sustaining my pace with sets of 100s... was wondering if I should try learning a 2 beat kick instead of doing the 6 beat.
Thanks!
The key to correct head position in the push off and dive is to squeeze your ears with your upper arms. In the SwimSwam video it is hard to tell if he is doing that. You are clearly keeping your head below your arms.
Your stroke count for the first 50 seems pretty good, 19+ after 50 yards, not so good. I mentioned stroke count because that is a good way to measure if changes in your stroke are making a difference. Pulling more water behind you and being more streamlined should result in fewer strokes per length.
Incorporating a longer pull/push will lower the stroke count by your moving more water behind you on each stroke...a good thing. You will feel it in the triceps and it will feel akward for a while. Also, when in an all-out sprint, you will not be pushing all the way back, but you should be pushing back more than you now are doing. Those going the fastest are not only better streamlined, but also pullling and pushing more water behind than anyone else. Thus the concept of high elbow catch. A high elbow catch gets your hand and forearm quickly in position to grab the water and pull it back. I can't tell for sure from your video, but it appears that when your hand enters the water it is goiing more or less straight down before you get into the actual pull. You need to get in position to be pulling water behind you as quickly as possible (high elbow). Pushing straight down in the beginning of the stroke only raises your body in the water rather than pulling the water behind you.
If you are pulling without a pull bouy your legs probably sink somewhat and cause more drag so the kick helps to keep your legs up. Some coaches believe that the flutter kick is not propulsive. What the kick does do is keep you balanced in the water. The other swimmers in your video are getting a lot of drag from their kicks as their legs are extending beyond the "tube" you should be swimming in. A four beat kick is fine and a 6 beat kick seems to be a natural number that people do, three kicks on each stroke (arm).
If you are going to be a distance swimmer, you can still do a 6 beat kick, just not as hard. If mid distance and below you should be doing at least 4 beat and likely 6 beat.
