This drill - rotation!

That "drill" is demonstrating waaaaaaay too much rotation.

What was the swim instructor trying to fix? Most drills, if done properly, are intended to fix a stroke flaw or to isolate a segment of the stroke for improvement. Many swimmers under rotate, don't engage their core, and/or aren't streamlined while swimming free. These may be what the instructor was having yo work on. I rotate well on one side and not much on the other. Or sometimes I rotate hips but not the rest of my body seems to want to follow .

Renie - Whenever I have people do this drill - which is not very often - it is for body alignment, balance, and head position. If this drill is being used for rotation, it would simply so the swimmer can feel how to rotate by using their hips and shoulders in tune with the timing of their kick. It is an advanced drill that requires being very comfortable with only a small portion of your face out of the water. Most people who try this drill are too loose in their hips, lift their chin to breathe, etc.. Most swimmers who have rotating problems will have it on their non-breathing side and often is the result of only breathing to one side instead of breathing every 3 strokes. Another contributing factor is not keeping your arm in front of you long enough for the other arm to complete the stroke. From your explanation of "I rotate my hips but the rest of my body does not want to follow" suggests to me that you may not have good body alignment and your "rotation" may actually be bouncing. A video would be helpful..

This "drill" is a total waste of your time, unless that is the way you plan to swim your race.

I started doing this drill recently on the advice of a swim instructor to help even out my freestyle.What was the swim instructor trying to fix? Most drills, if done properly, are intended to fix a stroke flaw or to isolate a segment of the stroke for improvement. Many swimmers under rotate, don't engage their core, and/or aren't streamlined while swimming free. These may be what the instructor was having yo work on.

no replies?

Glenn, I don't race, just distance swimmer. I initially followed Total Immersion. So, for a distance swimmer, is this too much rotation?

Thanks, Windrath. I'll make sure that I am doing the drill properly. I've been told to breathe to my other side, but my stroke falls apart when I do.

Renie - Whenever I have people do this drill - which is not very often - it is for body alignment, balance, and head position. If this drill is being used for rotation, it would simply so the swimmer can feel how to rotate by using their hips and shoulders in tune with the timing of their kick. It is an advanced drill that requires being very comfortable with only a small portion of your face out of the water. Most people who try this drill are too loose in their hips, lift their chin to breathe, etc.. Most swimmers who have rotating problems will have it on their non-breathing side and often is the result of only breathing to one side instead of breathing every 3 strokes. Another contributing factor is not keeping your arm in front of you long enough for the other arm to complete the stroke. From your explanation of "I rotate my hips but the rest of my body does not want to follow" suggests to me that you may not have good body alignment and your "rotation" may actually be bouncing. A video would be helpful.. Windrath, I think you've perfectly described one of my issues with freestyle. My hips are loose. Are there any drills that will help?

Thanks, Windrath. I'll make sure that I am doing the drill properly. I've been told to breathe to my other side, but my stroke falls apart when I do. I've been working for 2-3 years to breath effortlessly to the left. (Right is great, alternate breathing is fine, but only to the left was just awkward.) I'm mostly there, though right breathing is still more effortless. Using paddles helped a lot. I think because paddles slow my stroke tempo down so I had more time each stroke to get the breathing right. I also used a pull buoy so I didn't have to think about my legs, with the added benefit that I could feel my body rotation better than if I was kicking. Even now I find it helpful to breath right for 1/2 a lap, paying attention to timing details, then breath left the next 1/2 trying to replicate timing and body position. Disclaimer: if you don't normally use paddles, start with small ones and only 1 or 2 laps per day and build up. Paddles are notorious for causing shoulder problems. A drill I like is the catch-up drill breathing each stroke (every arm rotation). It's a lot of gliding and a lot of breathing, but the point isn't to go fast. It worked well for me to throw in a little breathing work most practices, rather than stress about getting it right in a short amount of time.