Today, for whatever reason, I made a focused effort to sight the end of the pool, albeit momentarily, during my breath. I think it helped me keep correct orientation and pitch thus helping my body dolphin. I think before I was just looking cross eyed into the water ahead and not really picking the end of the pool as the focus. It was cool seeing the wall "rapidly" approaching.
So my question is, should you not look at any discernable thing and zone out looking for the tee, or should you take a conscious peek at the wall on every breath to help keep body orientation?
What say you?
Parents
Former Member
And the one thing that surprised me was that Phelps breathes every stroke, unlike advice given to so many who swim fly. I wonder what a lot of you think about that. He was amazing to watch at the Olympics.
Donna
I'm slow but I do best breathing every stroke. I find that my arms drag on the recovery if I don't breathe due to shoulder stiffness. I greatly prefer having the extra air. Butterfly is much easier when I keep my chin in the water and my head in a relaxed neutral position instead of lifting and jutting it forward when breathing. I don't breathe well when my neck is hyperextended, and it tired my upper back too much with no benefit. Another thing I changed was to press the chest down when "landing" from the recovery but to keep the hands closer to the surface on entry. Finally, I learned how to use the lats more and triceps less.
And the one thing that surprised me was that Phelps breathes every stroke, unlike advice given to so many who swim fly. I wonder what a lot of you think about that. He was amazing to watch at the Olympics.
Donna
I'm slow but I do best breathing every stroke. I find that my arms drag on the recovery if I don't breathe due to shoulder stiffness. I greatly prefer having the extra air. Butterfly is much easier when I keep my chin in the water and my head in a relaxed neutral position instead of lifting and jutting it forward when breathing. I don't breathe well when my neck is hyperextended, and it tired my upper back too much with no benefit. Another thing I changed was to press the chest down when "landing" from the recovery but to keep the hands closer to the surface on entry. Finally, I learned how to use the lats more and triceps less.
