Awhile back I had tried to record myself swimming freestlye and ask around the net for commentary, but it was with a low-quality camera and only above-water footage. Not getting too much feedback at that time, I decided to buy a underwater HD camera and try to use that as a reference and improve my freestyle technique. Over about 40 days I have recorded ~16 sessions, and tried to gradually improve things. Here is what I have improved:
- No longer crossing over arms in middle (at least most of the time)
- Entry occurs when arms are more stretched forward, before my elbow was bent ~90 degrees for some entries
- Left pull is a bit more consistent, but still not a clean S curve like right arm (yes I'm right-handed)
- kick is a bit tighter and more controlled (though this probably still needs to be made even smaller, with less knee kick)
- neck angle when breathing is less extreme, before I was turning upwards much more than necessary
I still look straight down at the bottom when swimming much of the time, partially because if I look forward with a 45-degree angle I can't really see much anyway because my goggles get in the way, although I know doing this will make my breathing more natural, and possibly improve my posture overall.
I have been doing alot of catch-up with a pull bouy and that seems to have helped me control my upper body more. Also been doing alot of stretches to enable my foot to stretch to a greater degree, and doing a few laps with zoomers to help improve my overall kick form.
Anyway, the result of my recent training can be seen in the following video, where I edited together a few sessions together, and you can see my technique from a few different angles, both above and underwater.
YouTube- Jeff's Freestyle Technique 7/5/2010
I was concerned about doing too much endurance training with 'bad' form,but I think I am nearly ready to start doing less form work and a little more endurance training. However before that I really would like to get some critique from some masters swimming forum members.
If I were to point out my #1 problem at present, it is a lack of 'balance' in the water, though I am not sure exactly what that means or how to work on it. When I see videos of pro swimmers like Michael Phelps I am amazed by how their arms seem 'anchored' in front, whereas I have to struggle to even keep them straight. It takes a conscious effort to not cross over the middle, and even then I can't seem to keep my arms 'anchored' in front.
I do most of my training in a housing-development pool with no swimming friends, so any commentary would be very helpful.
Thanks very much!
Parents
Former Member
The pressure sensor is telling us that force is increasing from hand entry to mid stroke, but unfortunately depth and exposed arm surface and resulting drag would both produce a rising value through the front quadrant.So how does one explain that as force is increasing from the hand entry to mid stroke, that same phase concurrently produced the minimum velocity value for the stroke cycle. Wouldn't your logic say that as force/pressure increases through the stroke cycle, so should the velocity?
From the 2004 FINA Paper you sited in the conclusions paragraph:
Understanding this relationship is paramount to optimizing performance. Since a disproportionately larger increase in hand force is required to continue to increase swimming velocity, swimmers must be very conscious of generating maximum force and optimally directing the force at the higher swimming velocities.
More precise information was included in a similar paper published in the American Swimming Coaches Newsletter: Notice the calculation about how much force it takes for minimal increases in resultant velocity, especially as velocity increases.
Not only does the graph show that an increase in hand force is related to an increase in swimming velocity, but it also shows how critical hand force becomes at the higher swimming velocities. A disproportionately larger increase in hand force is required to continue to increase swimming velocity. The regression line shows that a 5 lb increase in force results in a .25 yd/sec increase in velocity in the 1.0 to 1.5 yd/sec range, but only half that much in the 2.0 to 2.5 yd/sec range.
Why does 5 lbs. of force only produce very small increases in velocity (.25 yd/sec) at slow speeds, and only half that (0.125 yd/sec) as the velocities get higher? That calculation comes from the shape of the curve, but consider the following: For swimmers at the surface, measured pressure drag increases to the second power and wave drag increases to the fourth power as velocity moves between 1.5 meters/sec to 2.2 meters/sec. (Typical competitive swimming speeds) The significant increase in drag negates the effects of increasing force on velocity.
The pressure sensor is telling us that force is increasing from hand entry to mid stroke, but unfortunately depth and exposed arm surface and resulting drag would both produce a rising value through the front quadrant.So how does one explain that as force is increasing from the hand entry to mid stroke, that same phase concurrently produced the minimum velocity value for the stroke cycle. Wouldn't your logic say that as force/pressure increases through the stroke cycle, so should the velocity?
From the 2004 FINA Paper you sited in the conclusions paragraph:
Understanding this relationship is paramount to optimizing performance. Since a disproportionately larger increase in hand force is required to continue to increase swimming velocity, swimmers must be very conscious of generating maximum force and optimally directing the force at the higher swimming velocities.
More precise information was included in a similar paper published in the American Swimming Coaches Newsletter: Notice the calculation about how much force it takes for minimal increases in resultant velocity, especially as velocity increases.
Not only does the graph show that an increase in hand force is related to an increase in swimming velocity, but it also shows how critical hand force becomes at the higher swimming velocities. A disproportionately larger increase in hand force is required to continue to increase swimming velocity. The regression line shows that a 5 lb increase in force results in a .25 yd/sec increase in velocity in the 1.0 to 1.5 yd/sec range, but only half that much in the 2.0 to 2.5 yd/sec range.
Why does 5 lbs. of force only produce very small increases in velocity (.25 yd/sec) at slow speeds, and only half that (0.125 yd/sec) as the velocities get higher? That calculation comes from the shape of the curve, but consider the following: For swimmers at the surface, measured pressure drag increases to the second power and wave drag increases to the fourth power as velocity moves between 1.5 meters/sec to 2.2 meters/sec. (Typical competitive swimming speeds) The significant increase in drag negates the effects of increasing force on velocity.
