I have 2 questions for the group. 1) has anyone ever experienced fatigue/tightness of one stroking arm, while the other side seems to be relaxed/loose? My left arm seems to get tight and my upper back muscles seem to tighten from time to time when I swim freestyle...not all the time but enough to make me wonder why.
Any thoughts/suggestions?
2) This has been a topic of debate with a friend of mine and myself. He believes that a person should slip their hand back into the water fairly soon as the recovering hand passes the head and drive it to the catch position through the water.
I use to be a believer in this until the last year or so, when I finally realized that it is more difficult to stay relaxed. I am starting to think the recovering arm should enter farther down the pool.
What do you all think? Soon as it passes the head or farther out over the water?
Thanks,
John
Parents
Former Member
I have sortof the same problem. I breathe to my right and left shoulder gets a little sore. The right one never gets sore. I think it comes from pushing down with your left arm to get a little more lift of your head when taking a breath.
Not sure how to correct this though other than trying not to do it...
You should not be "lifting" your head to breathe but turning it along with your shoulders and torso. The faster you're going, the less you need to turn the head, since your head will be creating a trough where you can open your mouth to breathe in ---below the level of the pool water.
I have sortof the same problem. I breathe to my right and left shoulder gets a little sore. The right one never gets sore. I think it comes from pushing down with your left arm to get a little more lift of your head when taking a breath.
Not sure how to correct this though other than trying not to do it...
You should not be "lifting" your head to breathe but turning it along with your shoulders and torso. The faster you're going, the less you need to turn the head, since your head will be creating a trough where you can open your mouth to breathe in ---below the level of the pool water.
