You can be more efficient and save energy in your swim workouts or races! Here are my top 3 tips for High Quality Freestyle Rotation!
Rotation is IMPORTANT! Rotating side to side while swimming freestyle reduces the amount of drag. Doesn’t it waste energy getting side to side? Yes and no. Rotation does use energy (an extremely small amount) however we are using gravity mostly to get one side to the other. Also, by rotating it sets your body up in a very powerful position to anchor. Thus faster swimming!
How far should I rotate? The most optimal place to rotate is onto your “Rails” (riding the rails) Your rails are the part of your body that begins to curve into and make your sides (about 45degrees). Rotating more/less you just aren’t as efficient.
Catch the Rhythm… What do you think about when you are trying to speed up or slow down? Think about changing your rotational rhythm. Wanna go faster? Increase your rotational rhythm. This way you are using your core and not just flailing your arms and legs.
Bonus Tip- Make sure your hips and shoulders stay connected. This means if your shoulders are rotating to your rails (the easy part) your hips need to move at exactly the same time to your rails (the harder part). For me it works best focusing on my hips rotating to my rails and my shoulders usually get there connected on their own.
Former Member
Thanks for the tips Coach Ty!
I breathe to the right so I find it easy to rotate to my left side, but not so easy to rotate to my right. When I am going slowly in practice it's kind of okay but when I go fast I tend to forget all about rotation.
Do you have any drills to improve rotation?
this is timely help, thank you, as I'm focusing on freestyle technqiue right now - and it compliments the other points I'm trying to focus on - high elbow pull and stretching long before entry.
I'm no coach, but I would think it would be easier for you to rotate to the right since you breathe to the right; you are already rotating in that direction. One drill we used to do to improve rotation was side kicking with one arm in front of the body and the head slightly rests on that arm. Kick about 20 kicks or so and change to the other side. This is exaggerated rotation, but it helps your brain and body to get used to the rotation from side to side.
Donna
Sorry, should have clarified that. What I meant to say is that it is easier to rotate onto my left hand side (and, yes, you are right that would be in a rightwards or clockwise direction). All so confusing!:)
I do similar drills to the one you are talking about. It is just that, at speed, my hips can't seem to keep up with my shoulders and my legs start crossing over. I guess I just need more practice. I didn't have that much stroke instruction as a kid and didn't swim for very long either. Now, as a master, I have a lot of work to do. But that keeps it interesting!
Rotate even if you're not taking a breath, even if you're sprinting a 50?
That's what I understood Coach TY to mean.
Wanna go faster? Increase your rotational rhythm. This way you are using your core and not just flailing your arms and legs.
What do you reckon?
Do you have any drills to improve rotation?
Exaggerated rotation.
You are already used to how you swim, so a small change will seem larger than it really is. So exaggerating your rotation should help you achieve the correct amount of rotation. Varying your rotation while doing DPS or having someone who knows the stroke well will help you get it right quickly.
You will probably feel like your are rocking on a boat from side to side, and you are the boat. Just try not to make yourself sea sick.
Thanks for the tips Coach Ty!
I breathe to the right so I find it easy to rotate to my left side, but not so easy to rotate to my right. When I am going slowly in practice it's kind of okay but when I go fast I tend to forget all about rotation.
Do you have any drills to improve rotation?
I'm no coach, but I would think it would be easier for you to rotate to the right since you breathe to the right; you are already rotating in that direction. One drill we used to do to improve rotation was side kicking with one arm in front of the body and the head slightly rests on that arm. Kick about 20 kicks or so and change to the other side. This is exaggerated rotation, but it helps your brain and body to get used to the rotation from side to side.
Donna
Thanks Ty for the advice. I've asked this question in some form or another in the past, but am still a bit confused about it. How does rotation help the anchoring? I can see how power is generated and how drag is reduced, but I find it a little harder to keep the elbow high from that rotated position. When you rotate, the extended elbow naturally starts to face the bottom unless you rotate the shoulder internally. That's something I've been working on, namely rotating my shoulder internally a tad when my arm is extended, so it's ready for the catch and (hopefully) elbows don't drop.
One other question. I've watched different swimmers whose catch arms are in different positions when they have reached the flat position. For example, Ian Thorpe usually has his catch elbow even with his shoulder when his body is flat, whereas Popov would have his elbow behind him and nearly ready to exit the water by the time his body was flat. I guess it's the difference between getting most of your propulsion in the first 45 degrees of rotation or the second. Any thoughts? Which is preferable, or easier for someone like me still learning.
Do you have any drills to improve rotation?
A couple of drills (in progressive order) for rotation:
6 beat switch (or side body balance)
extended catch up
Gallop
One Arm (non-pulling arm at side to work breathing as well)
DPS (also works on stroke timing)
There are a plethora of them out there so I hope this helps.
