I got filmed today for my breaststroke, which I posted in another thread, but I figure since I have the footage, might as well get a critique of my fly and free, too. I've been back into swimming for several months now, but I know I have a long way to go. I appreciate any feedback. Be harsh if you need to.
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Thanks!
Here's what I saw ~ Your butterfly recovery and freestyle recovery are nearly identical. This type of freestyle recovery (wide and sideways) promotes a serpentine motion of the hips and spine which increases drag. It's not easy to fix your recovery but ask your coach and they can give you a few ways o release a little different at the end of you pull and that may help. Your ankle flexibility is noticeably absent ( the first fly kick when your feet are above the water and some other noticeable kicks). Try simple ankle stretching exercises as often as possible (8 seconds each ankle and three sets after each kicking set). I like how your butterfly looks ontop. Good luck, Coach T.
Thanks. Good workout today with a lot of drills. Worked on freestyle recovery along my body with a high elbow and finishing my stroke at he hip, and even managed to kick a whole 50 on my side without sinking. :-)
Swam a 50 in 31, which was faster than I thought I'd go. Fly felt really good too.
I really appreciate all the comments.
:bump:
Bumping to thank those who helped me and to show others trying to come back that improvement happens, even if it seems it won't.
I thought it had been a year since I posted these, but I still have a month to go. Thought I'd give an update. (I'll try and make new videos before my 1-year mark.)
Overall: My torso finally seems to have gotten the idea that it needs to adapt to swimming. I have aways to go, but I am so much more flexible now that I can hardly believe I was even swimming before. I used to think everyone must be joking when they said to put one hand on the other to streamline. I thought I'd never do that, but now it is natural. My upper body still drives my swimming, my torso is OK, and my legs are pretty weak in comparison.
Fly: I now swim 'cruise' fly in 7 strokes per 25. I can hold that for about 75 and then finish the 100 in 10 or so. Not bad, given at video time if I tried to swim a 50, I'd tank soon after the turn. Sadly (to me) this seems to be my best stroke, so I will be working on it more and more.
Free: I think my freestyle is completely transformed. Not sure how good it is, really, but my DPS is way down and speed is OK. I used to swim a broken 200 free (50s) to warm up so my stroke did not fall apart. Now, I am starting with a full 200y, with under 15 strokes for each length, and hardly feel it. If I swim a really slow, stretched DPS free, I can go 9 or 10. My flutter kick stinks, but I have started a 'kick day' in my rotation, and I am working on it.
(I can also actually kick 'on my side' without sinking, and I lost the rec suit!)
