I went to an underwater video clinic on 8/5/07. Filming credit goes to Emerald City Multisport which put on the clinic at Samena Pool in Bellevue, WA. They did me a favor and recorded both free and fly instead of just free.
I've uploaded some excerpts to google video, and I'm interested in any critiques. One thing they said is I seem to be creating a lot of bubbles on entry on free.
free, side view, underwater
video.google.com/videoplay
free, front view, underwater
video.google.com/videoplay
free, surface view
video.google.com/videoplay
fly, side view, underwater
video.google.com/videoplay
fly, front view, underwater
video.google.com/videoplay
fly, surface view
video.google.com/videoplay
Thanks,
Dave
Former Member
I'd straighten you're arms out on your butterfly recovery.
In both free and fly your legs are pretty much just along for the ride. Look especially at the free side view. You need to get those hips up. If I were you I'd work on trying to do something other than a two-beat kick. I think your pull looks pretty solid.
Dave, I was going to ask if you've had back problems? Back seems really kind of stiff thus making your hips drop and your feet. Like Kirk said, you're hips and feet seem to be really low in the water. Head down a little more can help with this as well.
Kirk, I've always had a pretty lazy kick, probably because kick sets were socializing time on my team as a kid, and swam distance events where I could get away with it. i see what you mean, that I should get my legs up to reduce drag. I've tried a 6-beat kick but can't seem to maintain the rhythm, I'll miss a beat or get out of phase which interferes with my stroke. I just need to practice I guess.
Tracy, i do kind of arch my back when swimming, that's probably a bad habit. No real back problems other than being prone to pulling a muscle when I'm out of shape, which has not been a problem since I started swimming again!
Thanks for checking it out and providing advice.
Dave
I just looked at your stroke again. It looks like you are actually droping your elbow during the catch phase. Elbow preceeds the hand and forearm not good.
i do kind of arch my back when swimming
Maybe try a more neutral head position. Look straight down at the bottom of the pool instead of always peeking for the wall. That might help straight out your back a bit and also raise your hips and feet a bit. I think the TI folks refer to the sensation as "swimming downhill".
Skip Montanaro
I just looked at your stroke again. It looks like you are actually droping your elbow during the catch phase. Elbow preceeds the hand and forearm not good.
One of my old coaches told me I do this. I'm guessing from the video that you mean the hand and elbow touch the water at the same time.
If I'm right, why is this an issue and how do you fix it?:dunno:
When your hands enter the water on butterfly it looks like they are sliding out to the sides before catching the water. It appears that you are doing an exaggerated "keyhole" shape when you pull. Start your pull where your hands enter, with your arms at shoulder width, never letting them get farther apart than that. Good luck!
If you look closely you wiil see the elbow tends to lead the fore arm and hand. The hands and fore arms are slipping through the water and not holding onto the (imaginary wall) water.
If you look closely you wiil see the elbow tends to lead the fore arm and hand. The hands and fore arms are slipping through the water and not holding onto the (imaginary wall) water.
OK, I see that. Its causing the same splash by his face that I get. When swimming fast(-ish), I know I drop my elbow because I get a face full of water and no air. This is the first time I've been able to see what I'm doing.
Now what's with the imaginary wall?
