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!!!!
My problem is in the UW pullout not while actually swimming, as I'm bring my hands back underneath my body after the initial pulldown, just before the breakout stroke.
Maybe I should copy my questions over to the "Ask Ande" thread.
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!
Be careful of your hands and arms on the recovery. Make sure they are right next to your body to minimize drag.Some slow down at that point is inevitable,but work on staying streamlined to minimize it.
Yes,practice it over and over. You can work on your breath control by practice. One workout a week do the pullout on every turn especially free after a flip turn. As you pulldown remember to shrug your shoulders for streamlining. Practice will get you the right depth. If you push off too deep kick your self up a little on the dolphin kick. If you are too shallow make sure you don't go up at the pulldown.Also remember you don't have to break the surface until the beginning of the insweep on your first regular pull.You have less drag underwater than on the surface and you really aren't using much energy as you glide,so use it.I find if I think of the the gliding as resting it's easier to go further.
My problem is in the UW pullout not while actually swimming, as I'm bring my hands back underneath my body after the initial pulldown, just before the breakout stroke.
Maybe I should copy my questions over to the "Ask Ande" thread.
ah, in my experience that's a timing thing that you can practice...if the angle is too steep to the surface you'll slow right up...at least that's what causes my "stop"...
I'm gonna delete my long winded explanation from before lol
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!
Thanks!! I'll definately keep an eye out for that article.
