I figured compling my random questions into one post was better than two or three.
1. When I breath to my left before I do a flip turn then I can't do a good one. I end up rolling sideways, like over my shoulder, rather than front, tucking my head and going. I've tried looking to the left and then rolling in the middle of the pool and the same thing happens. I just can't seem to get my head back to being straight before I roll. Any ideas of how to fix this other than just breath to the right because sometimes my stroke count doesn't work out so that I can do that all the time?
2. This new backstroke rule...Im still kinda confused. So when I roll onto my stomach then I have to either roll immediately or take a stroke that is part of the continous roll motion right? I can't glide to the wall?
3. How can I improve my lung capacity? I need to be able to hold my breath longer so that my underwater kicks can take me as far as I know they can and not be hindered by a need for air.
I think that was everything for now. Thanx for all your help!!
~Kyra
Parents
Former Member
Originally posted by Bob McAdams
One of the most useful flipturn drills I've ever done entails practicing the "flip" part while you're swimming lengths of the pool. Since you're not at the wall, you just let yourself roll 360 degrees, then resume swimming. If you keep practicing this, alternating the side you do it on, you should be able to figure out how to equalize your flipping motion on your left and right sides.
The first time somebody posted something on this board about the "new" backstroke turn rule, I remember downloading the latest copy of the rules so I could see what the change had been. When I did so, I discovered that the "new" rule was the same one I had learned when I was being trained as a competitor back in the 1990s. It's really not "new" anymore!
What the rule clearly forbids is rolling onto your *** and then taking one or more kicks before you start your "continuous turning action" (which can include a single or a simultaneous double arm pull that you use "to execute the turn").
I strongly disagree with Fred Johnson's advice that you not breathe right before your turn. If you're running short on air during your streamlining, one of the things you should do is to breathe right before your turn. You shouldn't try to breathe on the stroke you use to execute your turn, but it's perfectly okay to breathe on the stroke immediately before that. Make a point of exhaling completely underwater and then filling your lungs completely on the final breath.
You should also work on making your flip as fast as possible. As somebody else noted, you can use your final arm stroke, your head tuck, and a bit of a dolphin kick to give yourself as much angular momentum as possible. Then keep your body tucked to keep your moment of inertia low, so that the angular momentum translates into a fast rate of spin. As you complete your arm stroke, turn both hands palm downward and then use them to help you get the rest of the way over. You should end up pointed the way you came with your fingertips in front of the top of your head (they'd be above your head if you were standing). Snap your arms into a streamline and then a split second later, kick off forcefully.
Ouch! I'm smarting. A swim coach strongly disagrees with my comment; I better re-read what I said. I may have not been clear in my comment about not breathing right before the turn. What I meant was, don't breath on the stroke you use to execute your turn. When I swam as an age-grouper, our coach did not want swimmers breathing two strokes before the wall. But to practice making a proper flip turn, I was referring to the stroke you use to make the turn. Breathing on this stroke puts your head sideways and turns your body slightly to the breathing side creating a bad position for executing the turn. Sorry about the confusion because I agree with the comment above.
Originally posted by Bob McAdams
One of the most useful flipturn drills I've ever done entails practicing the "flip" part while you're swimming lengths of the pool. Since you're not at the wall, you just let yourself roll 360 degrees, then resume swimming. If you keep practicing this, alternating the side you do it on, you should be able to figure out how to equalize your flipping motion on your left and right sides.
The first time somebody posted something on this board about the "new" backstroke turn rule, I remember downloading the latest copy of the rules so I could see what the change had been. When I did so, I discovered that the "new" rule was the same one I had learned when I was being trained as a competitor back in the 1990s. It's really not "new" anymore!
What the rule clearly forbids is rolling onto your *** and then taking one or more kicks before you start your "continuous turning action" (which can include a single or a simultaneous double arm pull that you use "to execute the turn").
I strongly disagree with Fred Johnson's advice that you not breathe right before your turn. If you're running short on air during your streamlining, one of the things you should do is to breathe right before your turn. You shouldn't try to breathe on the stroke you use to execute your turn, but it's perfectly okay to breathe on the stroke immediately before that. Make a point of exhaling completely underwater and then filling your lungs completely on the final breath.
You should also work on making your flip as fast as possible. As somebody else noted, you can use your final arm stroke, your head tuck, and a bit of a dolphin kick to give yourself as much angular momentum as possible. Then keep your body tucked to keep your moment of inertia low, so that the angular momentum translates into a fast rate of spin. As you complete your arm stroke, turn both hands palm downward and then use them to help you get the rest of the way over. You should end up pointed the way you came with your fingertips in front of the top of your head (they'd be above your head if you were standing). Snap your arms into a streamline and then a split second later, kick off forcefully.
Ouch! I'm smarting. A swim coach strongly disagrees with my comment; I better re-read what I said. I may have not been clear in my comment about not breathing right before the turn. What I meant was, don't breath on the stroke you use to execute your turn. When I swam as an age-grouper, our coach did not want swimmers breathing two strokes before the wall. But to practice making a proper flip turn, I was referring to the stroke you use to make the turn. Breathing on this stroke puts your head sideways and turns your body slightly to the breathing side creating a bad position for executing the turn. Sorry about the confusion because I agree with the comment above.
