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.
I'm wondering, I've always had a problem with breathing because my right arm is considerably stronger than my left...
There is a drill where you do half the set with a paddle on your strong hand, half the set with a paddle on your weak hand (only one paddle at a time). That will increase your awareness of your weak arm, and may help strengthen it.
Yes, I think it has certainly got to do with rhythm and timing as far as I am concerned. I seem to be able to do it when I exaggerate it at slower speeds but as soon as I pick up the pace, the hips stop rotating and I lose that sensation of 'thick water' around my legs. My legs also start to crossover and I think that is because my shoulders are still rotating slightly and the legs are trying to go with the shoulders but the hips are not. Bottom line is I am not swimming from the core. Too late to wish I had better stroke instruction as a kid. Only thing I can do is work on it now. Have to admit I am having fun, though. It seems to be a less tiring way of swimming. I think if I can improve in this area there is great potential for swimming a much faster 200 free.
Could you recommend a training video on maybe youtube that shows the hip rotation during freestyle? I was one of those who learned to swim many many years ago, and tend to swim flat, but am trying to rotate more, but it is hard to picture. Also, my legs tend to stay up on the top of the water during the flutter kick with my old fashioned freestyle, but I feel like when I do the exaggerated rotation, they sink more. Any ideas?
We have also been doing the whole rotating thing in practice. I also realize that one arm is perfect but my left arm actually crosses my body too much. it is such a hard habit to get out of.
About hip rotation:
is about the arm pull(insweep action) that help the body to roll or is the core body that roll on his own and help the pull ?
if I use the arm on the insweep to anchor and rotate I feel a great pressure on the arm.
if I use the core body to roll I feel that my insweep in a lot more easy.
what is the right way to do ?
regards
