Critique my strokes?

RE: Critique my strokes?

Elaine Krugman — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 11:52:28 GMT

Pullout much better. Stroke looks much "crisper", you are obviously getting more power. Unfortunately, the hands still are shooting down. By the way that is a problem I consistently have to work on myself. A good drill is to recover with your thumbs pointing up and keep your thumbs at the surface. Thanks, King Frog! I've been really concentrating on the pullout and having that crisper stroke. I have been able to reduce my stroke count by one on each length without losing speed, so I feel good about getting more power in my stroke. As for my recovery, I think about that, too, but I haven't been successful-- yet! I'll get there one of these days! Thanks for always being such a great coach, KF. I really appreciate it! :chug:

RE: Critique my strokes?

Allen Stark — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 03:39:48 GMT

I've been working on my arm recovery, and it feels like I'm shooting my arms forward. I am also working on getting a stronger stroke and trying to see if I can get a faster 7 strokes per 25 yards. I wouldn't do this in a 200 race, though. I'm better off starting my 200's at 8 SPL. www.youtube.com/watch Pullout much better. Stroke looks much "crisper", you are obviously getting more power. Unfortunately, the hands still are shooting down. By the way that is a problem I consistently have to work on myself. A good drill is to recover with your thumbs pointing up and keep your thumbs at the surface.

RE: Critique my strokes?

Elaine Krugman — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:48:09 GMT

On the back, thanks! The screen grab doesn't open, but that has been a problem on this platform for awhile. From what I understand, USMS is moving to a new one, so they aren't going to fix any current problems. Back to the subject, though, I will look for delays in my video. My exhale has always felt comfortable and natural for me, even on distance open water swims. Do you think it's affecting the rest of my stroke?

RE: Critique my strokes?

67King — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:28:49 GMT

Elaine - on free, there are improvements on the head/body turn, but still some delays. I think the exhale still is late. Here's a screen grab, you can see the bubbles clearly as the head is turned to breathe in. On the back, the hand movement looks MUCH better.

RE: Critique my strokes?

Elaine Krugman — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 11:56:37 GMT

Elaine - on free, there are improvements on the head/body turn, but still some delays. Keep working at it. It may take a while to unlearn/relearn that movement. Hard to tell on your hand placement, but it looks like you've tackled that piece well. On the bk, though a second opinion might be better, I noticed your hips and legs are a little low. My legs do the same thing but I havenâ€™t found a solution yet (except just sprinting). Perhaps presiding the â€œTâ€ can be applied too, upside-down for backstroke. Also, but without UW perspective of the kick I canâ€™t really confirm, it appears the ankles could be a little more extended (flexibility). Hopefully someone else could back this up or not. Thanks, Kari and Steve, for your feedback! I appreciate it very much! :agree:

RE: Critique my strokes?

__steve__ — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 11:23:09 GMT

On the bk, though a second opinion might be better, I noticed your hips and legs are a little low. My legs do the same thing but I havenâ€™t found a solution yet (except just sprinting). Perhaps presiding the â€œTâ€ can be applied too, upside-down for backstroke. Also, but without UW perspective of the kick I canâ€™t really confirm, it appears the ankles could be a little more extended (flexibility). Hopefully someone else could back this up or not.

RE: Critique my strokes?

flystorms — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 10:23:07 GMT

RE: Critique my strokes?

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 02:41:27 GMT

Backstroke. Focus wasn't quite right, but it looks like you are brining your had out of teh water with the top of your hand. You want to rotate it more so you lead with your thumb, then rotate your wrist 180 degrees so you enter the water with your pinky. How's this? www.youtube.com/watch

RE: Critique my strokes?

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 02:14:41 GMT

RE: Critique my strokes?

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 01:27:36 GMT

Hey lady! thought I'd replied to this yesterday, but i must've missed hitting "post". This second video, your left arm looks a lot better. As for your breathing, it does look like you're spending effort turning your head instead of rotating your body/neck together. The breathing is definitely delayed. If you keep your neck and spine on the same "roasting spit", as you reach for with your left hand for a pull, your body should rotate and breathe at the same time. Does that make sense? I'm so envious of you getting pool time. It's going to be ages before I can get in this year, I think. Ugh. Is this any better? (Sorry the video is dark; I need to download a video editor that will lighten videos. Window's video editor won't do that! :bitching:) www.youtube.com/watch www.youtube.com/watch

RE: Critique my strokes?

__steve__ — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 11:08:04 GMT

Sorry for lack of critique, I think they all look good. Especially in a wave amplifying pool

RE: Critique my strokes?

flystorms — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 10:14:49 GMT

RE: Critique my strokes?

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 01:28:19 GMT

Sorry for lack of critique, I think they all look good. Especially in a wave amplifying pool Thanks, Steve! Yeah, our outdoor pool is only two lanes wide in the lap swimming end, so it feels like swimming in open water! The only way I can swim fly in there is in between the two lanes when nobody else is in there. Even then, I end up drinking water half the time... Now that our indoor 5-lane pool is open, I usually swim in there. The noodlers get it exclusively during their classes, though, so I have to finish up outdoors. Unfortunately, on the day Bruce filmed me, the sky was getting ready to burst; so, it was dark and hard to see below the surface.

RE: Critique my strokes?

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 01:19:39 GMT

Hey lady! thought I'd replied to this yesterday, but i must've missed hitting "post". This second video, your left arm looks a lot better. As for your breathing, it does look like you're spending effort turning your head instead of rotating your body/neck together. The breathing is definitely delayed. If you keep your neck and spine on the same "roasting spit", as you reach for with your left hand for a pull, your body should rotate and breathe at the same time. Does that make sense? I'm so envious of you getting pool time. It's going to be ages before I can get in this year, I think. Ugh. Hey there, Fly!:wave: I hope you're doing well! Great tip about my rotation and breathing. It makes perfect sense to me, so I'll start working on that tomorrow. I'm sorry about your pool situation, too. You, 67, and King Frog all have my sympathy! :bighug:

RE: Critique my strokes?

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 01:08:00 GMT

That's why I hate critiquing videos, I just can't always tell what I'm looking at. Still trying to find a pool here. NFC is dangerously hot - 88-89. Gold's pool is STILL not open, nearly 2 months after it was authorized, though now the problem is some electrical issue, and not following guidelines. Of course, we are one of the upward trending states, and our emeregency just got pushed back 2 weeks, so they may end up rolling back some of the permissions. There was no problem with you; it was my swimming! Looking at the video, it appears as if I was doing exactly what you thought. Since I was the one in the video, it was easier to explain what I think I was really doing! Anyway, I appreciate you help! It gave me things to think about when I swam-- especially the things that slipped when I was away from the water for 11 weeks. It looks like Tennessee is going the way of Georgia: UP! I'm sorry you are unable to find a pool.

RE: Critique my strokes?

67King — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 06:12:21 GMT

RE: Critique my strokes?

Elaine Krugman — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 02:34:53 GMT

I'm probably the least qualified to comment, but a few things on the free. Mostly your breathing. It LOOKS like to me (but I may be wrong). 1. It appears you are exhaling as you turn your head, rather than face down. 2. In conjunction, it appears you are introducing a hitch, or a pause, in your breathing pattern. So you turn, exhale, pause, then finish turning and inhale 3. Looks like you are waiting a bit late to rotate your head. That probably contributes to the jerky motion, rather than one smooth, continuous one. 4. When you breathe, you are picking up your left shoulder out of teh water. Looks like you are rotating your whole body to breathe. 5. Looks like your left arm, but not your right, has a little "S" shape sweep in there. That may be the relfection, it is really hard to see Fly looks good to me? No idea on *** stroke, but I do like hearing Aerosmith! Backstroke. Focus wasn't quite right, but it looks like you are brining your had out of teh water with the top of your hand. You want to rotate it more so you lead with your thumb, then rotate your wrist 180 degrees so you enter the water with your pinky. Hey, 67! Thanks for reviewing my videos and taking the time to offer your critique. Regarding my free breathing, I am exhaling the entire time my face is in the water, so I don't think the hitch is in the breathing itself. As I turn my head, I'm getting the last bit out, so I have an even exchange of air, and it always feels relaxed and comfortable. I'm wondering if the hitch you see is because I'm waiting until I get rotated before I exit the arm on my breathing side. I know I think about that more than I think about my breathing, because my breathing always felt like the most natural, easiest part of the stroke to me. I would be curious to hear feedback from others on this to see what they think. As for the timing when I turn my head, I may be overcompensating. I aim to time my breathing until after my pull passes my shoulders, so I don't breathe too soon, and now I guess I'm breathing too late. I guess I don't have a clear sense of where my arm is in relation to my shoulder on the pull. When I think it hasn't passed my shoulder, it already has! I'll work on that. I'll work on toning down the rotation, too. What you think you saw with my left arm, you definitely saw it correctly. Darn it! I have this weird thing going on with my left arm that I have been trying to fix FOREVER. Here's a video of me breathing right. Overall, is my stroke better or worse breathing to the right? www.youtube.com/watch Fly looks good? :bliss: Backstroke? Easy fix! I just have to remind myself to pop my thumb out, and I can correct that immediately. That was an easy fix for me before that stuck, so I know I can get it to stick again with that little thumb reminder. The same goes for the pinky. Thankfully, backstroke fixes like that are way easier for me than the freestyle fixes! Thanks again, 67! :chug:

RE: Critique my strokes?

Elaine Krugman — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 02:07:17 GMT

Re: BR, I'm very hesitant to say anything about your pull since given you phisical problems it looks good. You could glide further during the pullout after the pull down. You start the recovery too soon, slowing down some free speed. On the pull recovery, you are shooting your arms forward at a downward angle, which slows you a little. Overall great given the layoff. Thanks, King Frog! I noticed the same thing on the pullout when I reviewed the video. I was counting 2 seconds for pulldown, and then one for the recovery before taking my first stroke. I guess I have lost my sense of timing. Until I get it back, I will look at my watch for several seconds and count off the seconds to get a sense of timing. Regarding my pull, I know you're hesitant, but what would you have recommended (just out of curiosity)? The pull recovery was something I was working on before the lockdown, and I had broken the habit of that downward angle. I guess need to remind myself again to reach straight forward and keep my arms by my ears! Thanks again, King Frog! I always appreciate your expert feedback! :chug:

RE: Critique my strokes?

67King — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 10:59:57 GMT

RE: Critique my strokes?

Allen Stark — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 08:06:14 GMT