Hi, I am a new swimmer, just making sure that I get my technique right in the freestyle stroke.
I have been watching videos of elites, and it looks like at the point of entry of the arm extended, the hand stays in that position (barely underwater) for several moments before it moves quickly back to the thigh and out of the water. Is there supposed to be that sort of "pause" before the ballistic motion of swinging the arm back (in the windmill fashion)?
This video has a good example of what I'm talking about - www.youtube.com/watch
Does that look like the right technique overall for the freestyle stroke? It seems kind of off to me.
Also, I guess I don't really understand how to breathe properly. When I turn my head to the side I often suck in water. In the videos of the elite races I can't even see their face come out of the water! How do you get the breath?
Thanks for your help.
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what exactly is the "recovery" phase? what part of the stroke?.... Also, another question. 99% of the time when I turn to take a breath I seem to be breathing in water. I can't figure out how to make this stop. I feel like I am rotating my head (and body) to the side, but I am still sucking in water. I don't think I am making a "bow wave," so that may be the problem, but I don't know how to do that....
I know I am asking a lot of questions, I'm just trying to get this right...:)
Don't worry about asking a lot of questions.
How you start your recovery (the point where the hand begins to "recover" for the next stroke) is going to have a huge effect on how you breathe.
For Front Crawl (a.k.a. "Freestyle")... Try starting you recovery by exiting "elbow first". This helps to allow the shoulders stretch out in either direction (forward and back) as the body rolls, elongating your shape in the water (i.e. streamlining). This also helps keep your recovery very streamlined (not wide, like in Butterfly). Both these items will make it easier to turn the head for a breath. (The "fingertip drag" and "zipper" drills are very popular here... starting the recovery "elbow first" makes these quite easy and natural.)
I find that a really good learning tool is to simply try different things as you swim. Focus on one point of your stroke for each pool length for example, during different parts of your practice.
As for breathing in front crawl there are a number of things you can try... here are a few examples (feel free to be creative and make up a few of your own):
1. Try lifting the head up (forward) slightly as you breathe. This is typically the "kiss of death", especially if you are just learning to refine your stroke and work things out. Lifting the head forces the hips down, which creates more drag... and throws off your streamlining and balance. This is the most common mistake folks make, but it is good to try it intentionally, just for comparison.
2. Go the other way and try to "swim downhill", keeping the chin closer to the chest/shoulder as you swim and breathe... notice the differences between this and #1 above.
3. The best place to breathe is likely somewhere in between. If you are swimming often enough you will have plenty of time to experiment. Don't forget to have some fun with it too.
Don't expect to figure this out all at once. Be patient, and be kind to yourself. It could take days, weeks, months, or even longer to "get it"... depending on how often you swim... along with other factors.
As I mentioned... You won't get the cavity(wallow)/bow-wave effect unless you have some momentum. You can still get a good, clean breath without a lot of momentum however. You just have to find your spot for it.
Just practice, study, and practice... and repeat. Eventually the solution will reveal itself to you... especially when you can just relax into it and enjoy the experience.
BTW...
I find it nearly impossible to go through an entire practice without getting some water in my mouth (especially when an oncoming wave hits me in the face just as I'm about to breathe). I know, not a real pleasant thought hygienically (I definitely DO NOT swallow it!, so it has to go back in the pool), but it is just the nature of the beast. You will eventually learn to work around this, as I'm pretty sure we all have done (and still do).
Again... as always... Have Fun With It Too!
...
what exactly is the "recovery" phase? what part of the stroke?.... Also, another question. 99% of the time when I turn to take a breath I seem to be breathing in water. I can't figure out how to make this stop. I feel like I am rotating my head (and body) to the side, but I am still sucking in water. I don't think I am making a "bow wave," so that may be the problem, but I don't know how to do that....
I know I am asking a lot of questions, I'm just trying to get this right...:)
Don't worry about asking a lot of questions.
How you start your recovery (the point where the hand begins to "recover" for the next stroke) is going to have a huge effect on how you breathe.
For Front Crawl (a.k.a. "Freestyle")... Try starting you recovery by exiting "elbow first". This helps to allow the shoulders stretch out in either direction (forward and back) as the body rolls, elongating your shape in the water (i.e. streamlining). This also helps keep your recovery very streamlined (not wide, like in Butterfly). Both these items will make it easier to turn the head for a breath. (The "fingertip drag" and "zipper" drills are very popular here... starting the recovery "elbow first" makes these quite easy and natural.)
I find that a really good learning tool is to simply try different things as you swim. Focus on one point of your stroke for each pool length for example, during different parts of your practice.
As for breathing in front crawl there are a number of things you can try... here are a few examples (feel free to be creative and make up a few of your own):
1. Try lifting the head up (forward) slightly as you breathe. This is typically the "kiss of death", especially if you are just learning to refine your stroke and work things out. Lifting the head forces the hips down, which creates more drag... and throws off your streamlining and balance. This is the most common mistake folks make, but it is good to try it intentionally, just for comparison.
2. Go the other way and try to "swim downhill", keeping the chin closer to the chest/shoulder as you swim and breathe... notice the differences between this and #1 above.
3. The best place to breathe is likely somewhere in between. If you are swimming often enough you will have plenty of time to experiment. Don't forget to have some fun with it too.
Don't expect to figure this out all at once. Be patient, and be kind to yourself. It could take days, weeks, months, or even longer to "get it"... depending on how often you swim... along with other factors.
As I mentioned... You won't get the cavity(wallow)/bow-wave effect unless you have some momentum. You can still get a good, clean breath without a lot of momentum however. You just have to find your spot for it.
Just practice, study, and practice... and repeat. Eventually the solution will reveal itself to you... especially when you can just relax into it and enjoy the experience.
BTW...
I find it nearly impossible to go through an entire practice without getting some water in my mouth (especially when an oncoming wave hits me in the face just as I'm about to breathe). I know, not a real pleasant thought hygienically (I definitely DO NOT swallow it!, so it has to go back in the pool), but it is just the nature of the beast. You will eventually learn to work around this, as I'm pretty sure we all have done (and still do).
Again... as always... Have Fun With It Too!
...
