I'm a relative newbie, 70 yrs old. Lifelong runner, but arthritis put a stop to that. Now trying to improve swim technique. I have a waterproof camera so I had someone else shoot me for a lap so I could see what I was doing wrong. I have no kick, which I've mentioned before, but worse than that, the legs sink 1-2 feet below the surface. I look like a dying walrus. What I want to do, whether the kick provides any propulsion or not, is raise my legs toward the surface to get more streamlined. What needs to be done???
Jack,
There are a couple of things that I compare a swimmer's body to - an iceberg or a see-saw - depending on the technical point I am trying to make with a swimmer.
67King hit the iceberg example. In the same way that most of an iceberg's mass is below the surface so it supports that little bit above, the higher your head is out of the water, the deeper the rest of your body will be to support it. So, as 67King suggested, looking down will help.
The see-saw comparison involves body balance. Your torso/lung region is the "fulcrum" of your body. The more time you can have one of your arms in front of your head, the easier it will be for your legs to be closer to the surface. This will only work if you keep your body fairly rigid from head to toe.
The best exercise to feel the "tension" that is necessary to swim well is as follows: Lie on the floor face down in a streamline position. Your forehead/nose or nose/chin should be in contact with the floor. Your arms & legs are in a "relaxed" streamline position on the floor. Next, keeping your arms straight, list them off the floor a couple of inches. Feel the contraction through your shoulders/back? Do the same thing with your legs - lift them until your knees are an inch off the ground. Feel the contraction of your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings?
Now your body is like a see-saw. Remember what happened on the playground when the kids were not the same weight and they would sit on the see-saw - one side dropped. Same concept in swimming. The more time your arm(s) are in front of your body, the more balanced you are and the higher your legs will be in the water - provided you maintain the tension in your body. If you do not maintain that tension, your legs will sink.
This is why there is so much discussion about distance per stroke (DPS). The longer your stroke, the more time you are spending in this streamline (or semi-streamline) position which means the more time your legs are higher in the water which means less drag.
You can also practice this in the pool to find the right amount of tension to keep your feet at the surface - practice face down streamline floating. Synchro swimmers are very good at this. If you have trouble finding someone to help you, I can give you a contact in your area.
Sorry for the lengthy post - good luck.
Paul
Jack,
There are a couple of things that I compare a swimmer's body to - an iceberg or a see-saw - depending on the technical point I am trying to make with a swimmer.
67King hit the iceberg example. In the same way that most of an iceberg's mass is below the surface so it supports that little bit above, the higher your head is out of the water, the deeper the rest of your body will be to support it. So, as 67King suggested, looking down will help.
The see-saw comparison involves body balance. Your torso/lung region is the "fulcrum" of your body. The more time you can have one of your arms in front of your head, the easier it will be for your legs to be closer to the surface. This will only work if you keep your body fairly rigid from head to toe.
The best exercise to feel the "tension" that is necessary to swim well is as follows: Lie on the floor face down in a streamline position. Your forehead/nose or nose/chin should be in contact with the floor. Your arms & legs are in a "relaxed" streamline position on the floor. Next, keeping your arms straight, list them off the floor a couple of inches. Feel the contraction through your shoulders/back? Do the same thing with your legs - lift them until your knees are an inch off the ground. Feel the contraction of your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings?
Now your body is like a see-saw. Remember what happened on the playground when the kids were not the same weight and they would sit on the see-saw - one side dropped. Same concept in swimming. The more time your arm(s) are in front of your body, the more balanced you are and the higher your legs will be in the water - provided you maintain the tension in your body. If you do not maintain that tension, your legs will sink.
This is why there is so much discussion about distance per stroke (DPS). The longer your stroke, the more time you are spending in this streamline (or semi-streamline) position which means the more time your legs are higher in the water which means less drag.
You can also practice this in the pool to find the right amount of tension to keep your feet at the surface - practice face down streamline floating. Synchro swimmers are very good at this. If you have trouble finding someone to help you, I can give you a contact in your area.
Sorry for the lengthy post - good luck.
Paul
