I am so disgusted--I've done the TI drills, had lessons, had swim team college kids give me tips, yet I still just can't seem to get the freestyle arm action right. Do you exactly move your arm in the recovery phase the same as you move it in the fingertip drag drills? Or do you do a wind up motion of your shoulder to bring the arm out of the water? No matter what I try, I am so pathetically slow--more often than not, I am feeling like it is all wrong. I am a good breakstroker and decent flyer, and great backstroker, but geez, I need to be able to do the free - I swim about 12 miles a week. Any tips are sooooo appreciated.:bow:
My free is(was) probably flat style having learned in the 60's. Thanks to the above post(s) the light is beginning to dawn. Last night I tried letting my arm stretch fwd and sink down once it's in the water. This kinda naturally caused my shoulder to dip or roll as it sank.
Once I wanted to grab the water I bent my wrist a little along with the elbow to get the hand perpendicular to travel. This caused a feeling like climbing over my arm/hand.
Also I found that I'm not strong enough to keep my forearm totally vertical during the big part of the pull when my arm is straight down and a little past. I am definitely out of shape and this style is new to me.
Hopefully the above rambling makes some sense and any advice/criticism is welcome and thanked in advance.
My free is(was) probably flat style having learned in the 60's. Thanks to the above post(s) the light is beginning to dawn. Last night I tried letting my arm stretch fwd and sink down once it's in the water. This kinda naturally caused my shoulder to dip or roll as it sank.
Once I wanted to grab the water I bent my wrist a little along with the elbow to get the hand perpendicular to travel. This caused a feeling like climbing over my arm/hand.
Also I found that I'm not strong enough to keep my forearm totally vertical during the big part of the pull when my arm is straight down and a little past. I am definitely out of shape and this style is new to me.
Hopefully the above rambling makes some sense and any advice/criticism is welcome and thanked in advance.
