I'm just learning these formally (I taught myself a few years ago) and consequently suck at the pullout. I always mess up the timing and I"m almost always too deep, especially from a dive. So two questions:
1) Any tips for reading depth? Breaking out to early, or feet brushing the surface are my biggest problems.
2) In a race, is it better to risk a pullout and possible DQ, or just do a streamline off the walls? I feel like I can go almost as far on a good streamline as a pullout, and streamline don't usually have messy outcomes.
Thanks!!!!
I wish I had seen this thread before I turned in my final draft (see below)...
Breath holding exercises can be done any number of ways... you can try to do double pullouts, or do some 25s where the first half of the length is underwater, and the second half is swimming. The latter drill is nice because you don't necessarily have to do breaststroke to work on breath holding, and it still transfers nicely into improving the ability to stay underwater on the pullouts when needed.
Depth on the pullouts is a function of foot placement on the wall and your ability to push straight off the wall (or slightly downward, depending on your preference) and maintain the streamline until the hands separate for the initial catch. These factors lead directly to where you end up after taking the first pull and dolphin kick. In other words, you need to push off deep enough and practice maintaining a consistent depth through the first stages of the pullout (that requires some momentum, so make sure those pushoffs are strong!)
As some of the other folks on the thread have mentioned, a lot of being able to judge depth underwater is simply a matter of practice. It literally took me years to get to a point where my pullout transitions were consistently at the right depth/time in the 50 and 100 ***, and there are still days when I make a mess of it.
Anyway, check out the May/June issue of SWIMMER. In it will be (or so they tell me) a technique article I wrote on the dolphin breaststroke pullout, as well as some drills to help you improve your distance off the walls, your ability to judge depth, and your transitions into the swimming portion of each length.. so keep an eye out for the article, and don't hesitate to ask questions!
I wish I had seen this thread before I turned in my final draft (see below)...
Breath holding exercises can be done any number of ways... you can try to do double pullouts, or do some 25s where the first half of the length is underwater, and the second half is swimming. The latter drill is nice because you don't necessarily have to do breaststroke to work on breath holding, and it still transfers nicely into improving the ability to stay underwater on the pullouts when needed.
Depth on the pullouts is a function of foot placement on the wall and your ability to push straight off the wall (or slightly downward, depending on your preference) and maintain the streamline until the hands separate for the initial catch. These factors lead directly to where you end up after taking the first pull and dolphin kick. In other words, you need to push off deep enough and practice maintaining a consistent depth through the first stages of the pullout (that requires some momentum, so make sure those pushoffs are strong!)
As some of the other folks on the thread have mentioned, a lot of being able to judge depth underwater is simply a matter of practice. It literally took me years to get to a point where my pullout transitions were consistently at the right depth/time in the 50 and 100 ***, and there are still days when I make a mess of it.
Anyway, check out the May/June issue of SWIMMER. In it will be (or so they tell me) a technique article I wrote on the dolphin breaststroke pullout, as well as some drills to help you improve your distance off the walls, your ability to judge depth, and your transitions into the swimming portion of each length.. so keep an eye out for the article, and don't hesitate to ask questions!
