After the I.M. thread and watching my daughter at her meet I got to wondering if being good at certain strokes has anything to do with heredity. If you read the I.M. thread you know that I am terrible at the breaststroke. Today my daughter had to do the 100 I.M. She was second after the fly and doing the backstroke. She had at least a 1/4 of a pool length on the two swimmers behind her. All the parents around me were commenting on how good she looked. I told them to wait and see what happens on the breaststroke. What do you know the two swimmers behind her caught her and past her on the breaststroke. She dropped down to fourth place. Is she destined to be a terrible breaststroker like me? Keep in mind that she has always done lessons at the Y and not with me.
Wayne,
Thanks. I'd love to hear more about those drills. Perhaps tonight I'll check 'em out on-line.
You're right. I did try the backtobasics thing. I even went back to my old age group coach! The frustrating thing for me is that I don't remember HOW my old stroke was!!!!!!!!! I have no feel whatsoever. I looked for old videos at home from champs. and Nationals and haven't found them yet. I'll keep looking :)
Roque does make it look easy... he's a little older than me, so are you sure he never did the flat? I'll ask him. He's been a little busy too with daughter and new baby due next month!
Thanks for your encouragement. :)
Wayne,
Thanks. I'd love to hear more about those drills. Perhaps tonight I'll check 'em out on-line.
You're right. I did try the backtobasics thing. I even went back to my old age group coach! The frustrating thing for me is that I don't remember HOW my old stroke was!!!!!!!!! I have no feel whatsoever. I looked for old videos at home from champs. and Nationals and haven't found them yet. I'll keep looking :)
Roque does make it look easy... he's a little older than me, so are you sure he never did the flat? I'll ask him. He's been a little busy too with daughter and new baby due next month!
Thanks for your encouragement. :)
Every one can make sooooo many changes in their strokes. It even seems that some of the changes don't work and if you listen too many coaches who all have differant theories we get into trouble. Sometimes it is better to get back to basics and only make minor changes. Sometimes the major changes do not help and only confuse... I would say get back to the stroke you took for granted and just tweek it a bit.
George
Karen,
I have been to clinics by Roque and other great wave style breaststrokers. They have great drills, but that is basically the only style of stroke they have known.
The hard part is learning the wave style when you were a flat style heads up breaststroker.
I had several drills I used for many years, but this "Cobra Drill", and pressing a dozen kick boards under the chest never worked for me.
But when the Terry Laughlin video on short axis strokes came out, I quickly adopted several of his drills. The hand lead body dolphin drill is now the basis of all my clinics. I can usually have people swimming a good wave style breaststroke in one hour:D
Head position and hip position are the most important things you can work on.
Many of the drills just did not work for me, I am one of those breaststrokers who can't do backstroke nor a great freestyle.
So I take what works and made some a little better.
With good technique there is Zero reasons you can't go faster than that 1:09 and 2:29.
Just look at Amanda Beards style, as Ande says, ride the glide. All good breaststrokers have great kicks, practice kicking two kicks underwater and one up to breathe. Count those kicks and make them work for you. Do the one and the two second drills.
Read my article "What went wrong with the wave style breaststroke"
I remember reading that Amanda Beard was a weak breaststroker when she was younger and a great flyer. Her coach at that point made her work on breaststroke a lot - and well the rest is history.
Wayne,
I just went to your website and it was helpful.
I think I'll try more of the glide. I looked at your powerpoint from an ASCA presentation and now have another question: I'm now being told to keep my hands near the surface, but it appeared with Dominico that his hands go way under the surface? Is this camera angle? His hands look a good 18 in under. I'm being told no more than 6 inches.
I think that gliding more will help me because of my kick. I do have that feel that when gliding I go a little further (I feel it in my hips) maybe than the "average bear".
Are you going to Nationals? I'd love for you to help me in that hour :)
Karen,
Dominico is not the best to copy. What he did well was stay underwater for 0.8 to 0.9 seconds out of every stroke.
Do you have VirtualDub program? Do a Google search and download it.
Then download jpegs of Amanda Beard and Kitijama.
View them in slow motion backwards and forwards.
The hands should be extended between 2 inches and 6 inches below the waters surface. From there you can either do a pull or a outwards scull.
Remember body ballance. Anything you do in one direction will affect the other end of the body.
That is why for every inch you raise your head, your hips will sink 2 inches. Same for extending your hands too deep, you break the streamline.
