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!
Former Member
I think maybe some of us are becoming too technical. A great coach I knew said we can give too much thought to technique when it will happen naturally by doing one thing at a time. The first thing he recommended was to have a high elbow and be very relaxed from the elbow to the finger tips during the recovery.
Wow, those graphs/picture are great!
Any chance you could post the picture at the point when the smaller bump occurs?
To me this is nearly incontrovertible proof that the part of the pull from the shoulder to the waist is the period where propulsive forces outweigh resistant drag forces, thus the acceleration that occurs between these two points.
The only way the drag dominant view could explain this graph is if the propulsion was coming from other than the arms, and the arms were just causing drag. It does look like she is kicking but still that doesn't explain this graph.
A lot of bubbles there...
So my question is - if an effort was made to even out those strokes they could be potentially even faster? Or is this going to make them as fast as they'll ever be? We're speculating here. If some energy gets lost, I mean a dry total loss, such as creating drag resistance or even creating useless lift (upper body) that can in turn create lower body drag resistance, then I'd say yes. They could potentially be swimming faster.
But it is not that obvious that some energy is being lost though. To the best of my knowledge, the gurus (Maglischo, Toussaint, Councilman and the like) don't find it that obvious neither.
@George
+ 1.
If anything can be fixed while keeping the swimmer away from this technical complexity, it's better. The OP should focus on body roll / recovery first and then we'll see if that alone could fix other flaws as well.
This is a current world ranked female sprinter. The images are taken from velocity meter telemetry with synchronized video. The image is velocity telemetry from a dive out to about 20 meters. For purposes of presentation, the captured image is when the effects from the dive and breakout would be diminished. In very general terms, when the arm approaches a position somewhere under the shoulder, minimum velocity for the stroke cycle occurs. You might also notice a fairly consistent velocity signature of the stroke cycles prior to this point.
The next image is when max velocity occurs during the stroke cycle. Some of you might say it is the finish of the stroke cycle, or some of you might say the beginning of the next stroke cycle. In either case, in real time it is the next change in velocity from the previous image. The vertical line in this image is a little lighter so you might need to look closer at it's position.
The black/gray vertical line through the red velocity telemetry indicates the instantaneous velocity at that moment in the video.
Is the software for this available for download ? So you can review datalogged files such as the one above in the image
Is the software for this available for download ? So you can review datalogged files such as the one above in the image Steve - Yes..The software it is on the ADINSTRUMENTS web site. These particular files were captured using a Mac computer because originally the software was only available in that operating system.
Check this video after it opens click on any stroke www.globsport.org/swim_power_test.htm Geochuck - Thanks for posting the link to that video, and another fine example of the variance swimming technique has on velocity. It is really a great contrast to the velocity telemetry still image I posted. You will notice many flucuations in velocity over one stroke cycle verses our the world class sprinter that presents a fairly consistent stroke pattern. Those rapid changes up and down in velocity really cost that swimmer a lot of energy. That video without the velocity telemetry, would present a completely different picture of how that swimmer was moving through the water, and reveals the differences in swimming technique from person to person.
Thank you very much Budd!
I find that little bump interesting, is it typical of other elite swimmers?
If it is the catch then it is interesting that she decelerates afterward. I wonder if she is sculling there or just not able to apply enough power while in that position, or if that is a spike in drag, or if it is kick related, or...
It's also interesting that the stroke before and after are a different shape.
Thanks again!
