Rich's Top Tips for Fast and Furious Fly.

I'm doing 1500 free before working on Fly and IM...I think it's taking a little too much out of me (even though it's very slow), since my body is relying on the muscles to cope with fly right now until I "get it." So I'm going to cut down the free, and hopefully that will help. I did hack through an IM 100 though at the end of workout...it was ugly but I completed it...which is what I needed to do mentally. Only got to 2300...but Rome was not built in a day. Why don't you switch it around? Do an adequate warm up, then work on fly/IM and then do the 1500 free and whatever main set you want to work on. Dave's advice is good. Take it. I gave you mine on the "Learn to Fly" thread. With respect to fly, or anything really, Rome is not built in a day. It took me forever to get it remotely right. Keep plugging away, short axis man.

I'm annoyed, I just typed a long response and it disappeared. GRRRR ... :frustrated: :frustrated: Anyway, Dave has a lot of good points, and I would suggest skipping the water breaths, not a fan of those myself. ;) Find the balance between water only breaths and coming up too high. You'll use less energy if you stay low. I can believe we have a SR thread with *gasp* humor? Well, I'll be darned ... Anyway, make sure you have an "easy" recovery, do NOT force your arms around, and make sure your head is the first thing in the water, not your hands. USE FINS. Make sure your not wasting energy on your kick by bending your knees and having your feet come way out of the water. That is more or less what I said ...

I agree. And I usually have issues with this....which is why fly is bad!

Rich, Its good to think about breathing close to the surface of the water, rather than lifting your head/torso higher than is necessary, but it is probably better to start higher and work your way down to the surface rather than vice versa. All that said, swimming with a lung full will certainly build character, and prepare you to swim through those tough race moments...like during a 200 fly when your first breath tastes like water and theres 185 yards to go. I might suggest a set like 10 x 25 fly sprint breathe h2o every other.(but not in my pool)

Rich, Its good to think about breathing close to the surface of the water, rather than lifting your head/torso higher than is necessary, but it is probably better to start higher and work your way down to the surface rather than vice versa. All that said, swimming with a lung full will certainly build character, and prepare you to swim through those tough race moments...like during a 200 fly when your first breath tastes like water and theres 185 yards to go. I might suggest a set like 10 x 25 fly sprint breathe h2o every other.(but not in my pool) Yeah it's certainly a do I continue or give up moment. I mistimed my breakout and it was pretty funny, but for pool water gives me wicked stomach pains. I guess I've done it enough on *** it's not a system shock though. Joking aside Dave I think I'm coming up too high and probably over relying on arm power, which will "do" for a 50 but if I ever want to scale the heights of lunacy and do a 200, I'll need the kick and timing. I'm trying to just jutt out my jaw to breathe, regardless how high I am coming...I try not to think of it as lifting my head...it seems to feel right but again, it could be so very wrong. You'll see at zones. Good news is my SDK's went a bit better although not so powerful yet but I didn't find my self "descending" further with each kick like I usually do.

Try to land softly with your arms (wider than your shoulders) and lead each entry with your chest and head lower than your arms. This will create a body wave that will lift you up to breathe without having to depend so heavily on your legs to kick you up.

Try to land softly with your arms (wider than your shoulders) and lead each entry with your chest and head lower than your arms. This will create a body wave that will lift you up to breathe without having to depend so heavily on your legs to kick you up. I'll give that a shot on Friday. I think I may have stumbled on that couple of weeeks ago when I really thought about pushing the chest down for arm entry and then sort of see-sawing the hips down for the arm exit. I just haven't been able to re-locate it...I'll try some slower walk throughs of it. I'm doing 1500 free before working on Fly and IM...I think it's taking a little too much out of me (even though it's very slow), since my body is relying on the muscles to cope with fly right now until I "get it." So I'm going to cut down the free, and hopefully that will help. I did hack through an IM 100 though at the end of workout...it was ugly but I completed it...which is what I needed to do mentally. Only got to 2300...but Rome was not built in a day.

Tip 1) Breathing works better if you do it above the surface. LOL................... ooohhh, this was my 200th post... word.

Why don't you switch it around? Do an adequate warm up, then work on fly/IM and then do the 1500 free and whatever main set you want to work on. I may try that...do 200-400 Breas/Free/Back to warm and then stretch a bit...do 1000 of Fly/IM work and then hit the free... I'll peak on the fly and IM, then get a breather and poodle out the back 1500.

Stud - Something that really helps me - a fellow breaststroker (used to breathing with head up and no water nearby to be inhaled as it should be:p ) - is to really tuck my chin down and look at my feet until I am ready to breathe again. It is still hard for me to get used to looking at, and diving toward, the water while trying to breathe, but if I can do that and inhale only air :agree: and immediately tuck my head, I almost feel like a real Flyer!!!! I am getting stronger and do many more good strokes than bad now, but it is still a struggle for me, just not as much as one.