No-breath 50 Free!

Very little breathing is VERY normal at that level. The more you breathe = more wasted time. I remember way back when....I could swim the 50 free (SCY) with 0-1 breaths. LCM with 1-2 breaths. Not anymore.

I'd rather not have to breathe either. The best I've been able to manage is 2 breaths in SCY. Couldn't do that LC though. I don't know how Darra Torres does all the breathing and still goes so fast. Wildman-Tobriner has a similar stroke, technique-wise, but I seem to recall that he didn't take a breath on his 50 at Worlds. George, Wildman-Tobriner's head is pretty low, looking straight down. But, yes, generally, sprinters are riding higher in the water. (Although Donna tells me I'm too low and plowing through the water on backstroke. LOL.)

I don't think I could swim a 50 without breathing. My goal, and I've been fairly successful at this, is to do a 50 scy on 3 breaths. 2 down and 1 back. As a 55 year old I think this is as few breaths as I can do this race. I would like to be able to do the 50 fly on the same pattern.

My goal, and I've been fairly successful at this, is to do a 50 scy on 3 breaths. 2 down and 1 back. I'll bet you could do 1 down and 2 back easier. ;) Skip

Thanks for all the feedback. I knew that less breathing would be necessary for a 50. I had no idea that a lot of competitiors took no breath at all. As an aside, I also notice that most of the competitors (with the exception of van Hoogenbrand ) swim with much straighter arms and not nearly as high an elbow as, say, a 200 or 400m swimmer would. I am guessing this has to do with speed as well. Syd

I also notice that most of the competitors (with the exception of van Hoogenbrand ) swim with much straighter arms and not nearly as high an elbow as, say, a 200 or 400m swimmer would. I am guessing this has to do with speed as well. Syd What's happening above the water is deceiving. The recovery may often be straight arm...but the elbows are always always high. Sprinters often have the best underwater technique you will ever find...even though it looks like wild thrashing. High elbows...strong finish on each stroke. This Popov clip is a great illustration of that. Popov Perth 1998

I watched those videos and many did take 1 breath a couple took 2 breaths and some did not take a breath. This has come up before how much air do you need to swim a fifty. Breathing does throw off rythm. If we did not have to breathe we would all be much better swimmers. I did not see any Buried Heads.

I was just watching the Semis and Final of the 50m Free at the World Champs in Japan in 2001 and noticed that none of the competitors seemed to be breathing at all. Is this standard practice for a 50 Free at this level? Here is the link: www.youtube.com/watch Syd Swimmers at this level are in a state of extremely good conditioning. That said... most elite swimmers can make an all out effort for 20 seconds without the need for taking a breath. The 50 free is like the showdown at the OK Corral. When the starting signal goes off...it's all or nothing. I saved this clip of Anthony Ervin...now a masters swimmer....and he too swims it without a taking breath. It's very common amongst 50 specialists. YouTube - Anthony Ervin 50 Yard Free: 19.98

Swimmers at this level are in a sate of extremely good conditioning. That said... most elite swimmers can make an all out effort for 20 seconds without the need for taking a breath. The 50 free is like the showdown at the OK Corral. When the starting signal goes off...it's all or nothing. I saved this clip of Anthony Ervin...now a masters swimmer....and he too swims it without a taking breath. It's very common amongst 50 specialists. YouTube - Anthony Ervin 50 Yard Free: 19.98 They are swimming so fast nowadays that it almost looks like it is in "fast forward" and it's just how they are swimming! Incredible.

I swam a 50 in a relay at Federal Way. I rarely swim free in a meet and wasn't concentrating on breathing. It was only after I finished I realized I swam it without breathing.I do no breathers in workout fairly regularly to help my breaststroke pullout though.