How do you correct "crossing over" or "snaking" in a freestyle stroke? Are there drills? I can't shake it.
I finally filmed my stroke and was told before to do so to see that my entry arm (on a right stroke) is entering the water across near my left ear. From my vantage point, I see the right hand when I'm swimming at 1 oclock or slightly to the right of my right shoulder. I look at the film and sure enough, my right hand is coming across, near the left ear. In the water, I'm feeling the hand is entering the water and catch at 1 oclock.
My gliding arm, the left, I see is not straight, but angles a bit back to my right side. It looks like m right arm is coming over my left hand. And I'm really over rotating on my left shoulder. Right elbow is way up, almost immediately vertical to my right ear. Alot of this is effected by total immerssion book I read, to swim on your side.
Not sure how to fix this, or what the culprit is.
Parents
Former Member
Bearcat is correct. Too much cross over will result in fishtailing.
Pretend you have an imaginary glass wall running down the center of your body from head to toe. Your hand is never allowed to pass over the center of this wall.
Also try to keep the arm extension moving in a forward direction. Reach, and Stretch during the entry right before you begin the catch. Not only will your reaching force a nice roll during the stroke, it will also keep that momentum forward, and not side to side.
The TI method is reinforced by the side kicking drills. The answer to your problem may lie in not actually trying to swim and drill kick at the same time. Try reaching with your hands as if you're about to come into a touch pad at the end of the pool. Do this on each stroke, and take the focus off of the kicking on your side. The roll which is promoted by the drills will happen naturally.
One last thing...the hips and shoulder are one. They should move as a unit. As bearcat stated, they have to work in tandem. The hips roll, and the shoulders go with them, Always!
Bearcat is correct. Too much cross over will result in fishtailing.
Pretend you have an imaginary glass wall running down the center of your body from head to toe. Your hand is never allowed to pass over the center of this wall.
Also try to keep the arm extension moving in a forward direction. Reach, and Stretch during the entry right before you begin the catch. Not only will your reaching force a nice roll during the stroke, it will also keep that momentum forward, and not side to side.
The TI method is reinforced by the side kicking drills. The answer to your problem may lie in not actually trying to swim and drill kick at the same time. Try reaching with your hands as if you're about to come into a touch pad at the end of the pool. Do this on each stroke, and take the focus off of the kicking on your side. The roll which is promoted by the drills will happen naturally.
One last thing...the hips and shoulder are one. They should move as a unit. As bearcat stated, they have to work in tandem. The hips roll, and the shoulders go with them, Always!
