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
Parents
Former Member
Poolrat,
Of course that "friend" of ours would say that it is because of a flaw in the swim technique, but I don't agree and here's why: If a person breathes only on the right side, when they turn their head to breathe, the left arm and shoulder are the support for the entire body during that breath. And if a swimmer does this millions of times, that left shoulder takes a beating. Compound this with how long it takes that swimmer to take a breath and there is even more time that shoulder has to support the swimmer. So I think bilateral breathing is a plus in this regard. I tried for an entire year to breathe on the left and I can do it, but I get dizzy after about a hundred yards; I think my neck is not limber enough in that direction. And, it's going to be a long 18 miles for my left shoulder :shakeshead:.
donna
Poolrat,
Of course that "friend" of ours would say that it is because of a flaw in the swim technique, but I don't agree and here's why: If a person breathes only on the right side, when they turn their head to breathe, the left arm and shoulder are the support for the entire body during that breath. And if a swimmer does this millions of times, that left shoulder takes a beating. Compound this with how long it takes that swimmer to take a breath and there is even more time that shoulder has to support the swimmer. So I think bilateral breathing is a plus in this regard. I tried for an entire year to breathe on the left and I can do it, but I get dizzy after about a hundred yards; I think my neck is not limber enough in that direction. And, it's going to be a long 18 miles for my left shoulder :shakeshead:.
donna
