I am trying to learn to breathe on both sides while doing freestyle. I have been breathing on the right side since I started swimming 20 yrs ago, and old habits are hard to break.. no matter how much I try I end up lifting my head way out of the water and/or swallowing water when I try to breathe on the left. Do any of you know any way I can learn to breathe on the left quickly? It will GREATLY improve my triathlon swimming.. it seems breathing on both sides provides a perfect interval between breaths and also allows better form as I would have to roll exactly the same way on both sides. It also allows better lateral vision so in open water I can stay on course easier. thanks for any advice you can provide.
Parents
Former Member
I learned by using pull buoys. The buoys kept me a little higher in the water, so I didn't swallow quite as much water!
Another drill that our coach had us do was to breathe to the same side of the pool. For example, our pool had bleachers one one side of the room. He would tell us to swim a 500 "breathing toward the bleachers." In other words, we'd be breathing on our right going down the pool, and breathing on our left coming back.
When you do this drill, pay attention to what you're "looking at" (the bleachers, the rope, the wall, the clock, whatever) when you breathe on your good side. Then try to focus on the same object when you're breathing on your bad side.
Anna Lea
I learned by using pull buoys. The buoys kept me a little higher in the water, so I didn't swallow quite as much water!
Another drill that our coach had us do was to breathe to the same side of the pool. For example, our pool had bleachers one one side of the room. He would tell us to swim a 500 "breathing toward the bleachers." In other words, we'd be breathing on our right going down the pool, and breathing on our left coming back.
When you do this drill, pay attention to what you're "looking at" (the bleachers, the rope, the wall, the clock, whatever) when you breathe on your good side. Then try to focus on the same object when you're breathing on your bad side.
Anna Lea
