Sorry if this is a repeat thread, but I searched and couldn't find anything. Is it odd to have your breaststroke be significantly faster than your front crawl? I thought breaststroke was supposed to be the slowest stroke, but it seems to be the opposite for me. My time for a 50y free used to be 45-50s, but it's about 35 now (VERY slow, I know). My time for 50y *** is between 28 and 29s even at the end of a long practice.
My coaches have watched my technique for both strokes, and they said that my front crawl technique is great. I'm probably taking about 10 strokes per 25 yards. The only thing I can think of is that my front crawl looks almost identical to Grant Hackett's, even when I'm trying to sprint. I think you're supposed to stay flat when you sprint, but it doesn't feel natural to me.
Anyway, does this just mean that *** is my natural stroke, or is there something horrifically wrong with my front crawl that 4 coaches and myself missed?
Parents
Former Member
If you can maintain that speed for a 400, then it's not your real 50 speed. A 50 should be an all out sprint. Even the best distance swimmers have a notable difference between all-out 50s and 50 splits during a 400.
Others will probably disagree, but I think a 6-beat kick is essential for getting the most out of your freestyle. How fast can you flutter kick a 50 with a board? If you can kick reasonably fast.. then it's just a matter of integrating the kick with your stroke. If not it could be an ankle flexibility issue, or technique, or endurance.
Regardless of what the issue is with the freestyle times, 28s is great for a 50 breaststroke. If I were you I would focus on breaststroke.
Also I think 35s is a pretty good 50 time for 10 strokes and little or no kick. That shows that you must have a fairly efficient and powerful stroke. With the right turnover and a good 6-beat, you can probably bring it down under 30 without too much of a problem.
If you can maintain that speed for a 400, then it's not your real 50 speed. A 50 should be an all out sprint. Even the best distance swimmers have a notable difference between all-out 50s and 50 splits during a 400.
Others will probably disagree, but I think a 6-beat kick is essential for getting the most out of your freestyle. How fast can you flutter kick a 50 with a board? If you can kick reasonably fast.. then it's just a matter of integrating the kick with your stroke. If not it could be an ankle flexibility issue, or technique, or endurance.
Regardless of what the issue is with the freestyle times, 28s is great for a 50 breaststroke. If I were you I would focus on breaststroke.
Also I think 35s is a pretty good 50 time for 10 strokes and little or no kick. That shows that you must have a fairly efficient and powerful stroke. With the right turnover and a good 6-beat, you can probably bring it down under 30 without too much of a problem.
