If we are supposed to be, in the front crawl, always rolling from side to side, what are the advantages of not breathing every other stroke or breathing less and swimming straight? Or should we roll to the side even though not taking a breath? Or is is the fact that the moving of your head a little more to take the breath making more drag? I can see the not breathing an issue in fly because breathing breaks the natural porpoising of the body. The more I swim the fly without breathing the faster I go, so I have to dwell with that, but in freestyle what is the deal? Newbie questions again. billy fanstone
It has to do with the fact that every time a swimmer turns the head to breathe, there is great torque on the opposite shoulder. So for us who breathe every stroke, the opposite shoulder is carrying a great burden all of the time. .......
A "friend" of ours would say that if we were swimming with the correct technique there would be no torque on the opposite shoulder. And to some extent I would agree as I think it was partly responsible for my shoulder injury 2 years ago. The pain forced me to learn to breathe to the other side.
....... I am not sure exactly why bilateral breathing seems to be so important; it can't be balance because a relatively good swimmer already has that with body balance, and it can't be to see other swimmers because I can see them underwater. It has mystified me except for the fact that it distributes the torque to both shoulders instead of just one.
I agree with this with the exception that a new swimmer or one who has not had a coached, swimming background may not be balanced until they learn to breathe to either side. I definitely wasn't. There was very little rotation to my non-breathing side until I leaned to breathe (comfortably) to either side. Of course, at 55, I am relatively new to swimming. I never participated in organized competitive swimming as a kid, and my only swimming was what we did with the Red Cross lessons and Boy Scouts. I swam my first meet as a 50 year old. My form and technique were very poor until I got help from a coach.
It has to do with the fact that every time a swimmer turns the head to breathe, there is great torque on the opposite shoulder. So for us who breathe every stroke, the opposite shoulder is carrying a great burden all of the time. .......
A "friend" of ours would say that if we were swimming with the correct technique there would be no torque on the opposite shoulder. And to some extent I would agree as I think it was partly responsible for my shoulder injury 2 years ago. The pain forced me to learn to breathe to the other side.
....... I am not sure exactly why bilateral breathing seems to be so important; it can't be balance because a relatively good swimmer already has that with body balance, and it can't be to see other swimmers because I can see them underwater. It has mystified me except for the fact that it distributes the torque to both shoulders instead of just one.
I agree with this with the exception that a new swimmer or one who has not had a coached, swimming background may not be balanced until they learn to breathe to either side. I definitely wasn't. There was very little rotation to my non-breathing side until I leaned to breathe (comfortably) to either side. Of course, at 55, I am relatively new to swimming. I never participated in organized competitive swimming as a kid, and my only swimming was what we did with the Red Cross lessons and Boy Scouts. I swam my first meet as a 50 year old. My form and technique were very poor until I got help from a coach.
