"What do YOU need to do to have a major swimming breakthrough?"

Your kick looks good.With your pull you need to focus on getting into EVF.You have pretty classic dropped elbows.That is even more common in BR than in free.The old advice of feeling like you are pulling yourself over a barrel is good.I'd forget about stroke count on the 50,if you are fastest taking 15 strokes take 15 strokes.It's a 50 so you won't get tired from over stroking.That said,your stroke count will go down if you get more distance from your pull. By the way,my stroke count is 9 per 25 for a 50,8 per 25 for a 100 and 6-7 per 25 for a 200. Good news about the kick- thanks! As for my pull, EVF is painful on my left (post-surgery) shoulder when done repetitively, but I'm going to see if I can suck it up on at least the 50yd., this weekend! Your stroke count is awesome! :bow: The least I have ever been able to do on a 25yd. length is 7- and that is with a 50 second 50! So, I'm going to work hard on strengthening my shoulders and arms up for Nats.! Thanks for the feedback, King Frog; you know it's always appreciated by me! :D

On the outsweep maybe, but certainly not on the insweep. I think this is where EVF comes into play in breaststroke. OK, this is getting interesting... :afraid: Should we start a poll on "The Breaststroke Lane" as to whether EVF applies for the insweep (or not) in breaststroke? :worms: :bolt:

EVF in breastroke only applies to the pull out breastrokers don't need to worry about EVF when swimming breastroke hands and forearms stay pretty parallel to the surface streamline outsweep insweep thrust streamline pause I totally disagree.The new mantra for BR pull is that it is just like fly until you get back to shoulder level and then insweep.Some of the women,especially Soni don't even really have an insweep.I say get into EVF,pull back hard to about your shoulder,then insweep and recover quickly.

It was just your pullout I noticed it on. I am not at all qualified to comment on the timing of the rest of the stroke :blush:. Looks like you have a good rhythm, but need to get more distance with each pull - simple as that :afraid::D. I guess there's something in the EVF or whatever you want to call it - I try and think of pulling back the water with my whole arm while pulling myself over the water. I try for that similar "strong" feeling on free, fly or ***, just different arm angles/position in the water. Not found it on back yet.....probably explains a lot :blah: Thanks for the clarification, 'Fly! I think the biggest problem in all my strokes is the lack of strength in my shoulders, due to my past bilateral thoracic outlet syndrome (which weakens the shoulders big-time). I am trying to build up strength, but I just don't know yet how much I will be able to build- and keep pain/injury free. It's a delicate balance, to say the least. If this is the best I can get, so be it. My health (especially my shoulders, considering all I have been through with surgery) is more important! I just feel VERY fortunate (and grateful to my surgeon :bow: ) that I can just swim again. Competion is just icing on the :cake: !!!

Thanks for the clarification, 'Fly! I think the biggest problem in all my strokes is the lack of strength in my shoulders, due to my past bilateral thoracic outlet syndrome (which weakens the shoulders big-time). I am trying to build up strength, but I just don't know yet how much I will be able to build- and keep pain/injury free. It's a delicate balance, to say the least. If this is the best I can get, so be it. My health (especially my shoulders, considering all I have been through with surgery) is more important! I just feel VERY fortunate (and grateful to my surgeon :bow: ) that I can just swim again. Competion is just icing on the :cake: !!! There is nothing in Masters Swimming worth hurting yourself over.If you can't keep elbows up,forearms down,you'll need to alter your stroke.You might try keeping your hands further in front and doing a relatively short scull.This was the way Soni swam when she won her first NCAA 200 BR.She has much more pull now than she did then,but she still won NCAAs that first time with very little actual pull.If you shorten the pull it will affect DPS,but DPS isn't nearly as important as speed.

OK, this is getting interesting... :afraid: Should we start a poll on "The Breaststroke Lane" as to whether EVF applies for the insweep (or not) in breaststroke? :worms: :bolt: Maybe so... I'd be interested in seeing the results. I've been getting some conflicting feedback on my pull on just this point, and now I am totally confused. EVF makes sense to me because it seems as though it would produce more power. I guess the advantage of insweep/outsweep is that it moves your arms through the water more quickly and is perhaps less drag-inducing?

EVF in breastroke only applies to the pull out breastrokers don't need to worry about EVF when swimming breastroke hands and forearms stay pretty parallel to the surface streamline outsweep insweep thrust streamline pause Good news about the kick- thanks! As for my pull, EVF is painful on my left (post-surgery) shoulder when done repetitively, but I'm going to see if I can suck it up on at least the 50yd., this weekend! Your stroke count is awesome! :bow: The least I have ever been able to do on a 25yd. length is 7- and that is with a 50 second 50! So, I'm going to work hard on strengthening my shoulders and arms up for Nats.! Thanks for the feedback, King Frog; you know it's always appreciated by me! :D

hands and forearms stay pretty parallel to the surface On the outsweep maybe, but certainly not on the insweep. I think this is where EVF comes into play in breaststroke.

As for my early kick, is that just on the pullout or in my stroke? It was just your pullout I noticed it on. I am not at all qualified to comment on the timing of the rest of the stroke :blush:. Looks like you have a good rhythm, but need to get more distance with each pull - simple as that :afraid::D. I guess there's something in the EVF or whatever you want to call it - I try and think of pulling back the water with my whole arm while pulling myself over the water. I try for that similar "strong" feeling on free, fly or ***, just different arm angles/position in the water. Not found it on back yet.....probably explains a lot :blah:

Sorry,I thought you were endorcing leading with the elbows as ELaine was doing in her video.EVF could be more EDiagonalF for these swimmers.The important point is to have the forearm as a propulsive surface as well as the hand. Allen, can you say a bit more about this? If there is some sort of compromise or intermediate between the two approaches, that would be helpful for me.