I've been working on my head position, trying to keep my head down. But I can't seem to stop jerking it up for breaths. So I was told to keep my ear against my shoulder to allow for a simple head rotation. It is here that I have noticed what I think is a fundamental problem in that my left arm (I'm breathing to the right) is already too far down to make this position possible.
The way it seems that I can counter this is by employing a more "catch-up" style where my left arm has to stay forward/paused until my right arm is almost forward and my head is back down. Does that make any sense?
I just started experimenting with this style and am wondering if I am on the right track. I do notice that I am getting more body rotation and that I feel like I am pulling a lot more water - but that could also be because I am going so slow to try and work on this. One thing I am worried about is that my turnover is already very slow and this seems like it could make it even slower. Perhaps my timing has been forever wrong and I need re-learn these basics even if I will be swimming slow before I can hopefully eventually go faster? I'm not sure if I have had a revelation or I am about to work on something that is going to mess me up even more.
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Alexeilb, thanks for the tips. I'm not so sure about my head position otherwise. I had my head too far up forever, but have worked on that. Strange thing is today I was back in the pool and it actually seemed like the roll of the head was a little easier if I had it up a little more and that there was too much resistance looking more straight down. I seem to be able to conciously fix that part anyway. But the breathing part still had me stumped.
It looks pretty simple what I need to do watching those videos and standing in front of a mirror, but swimming lap after lap focusing on nothing else I still didn't feel like I could do it. If I do a full catch-up drill that is the only time it feels like I am getting it. Don't know if doing that over and over could help ingrain it in me and eventually translate to a correct stroke? I will try the kickboard drill next time. I definately found out you are correct I couldn't just jump in and do it.
I will have to get a video up someday. I'm thinking MJ's first video about 40 seconds in is probably me. Strange thing I notice about that though is that the body does rotate a lot - just not in a good way.
Alexeilb, thanks for the tips. I'm not so sure about my head position otherwise. I had my head too far up forever, but have worked on that. Strange thing is today I was back in the pool and it actually seemed like the roll of the head was a little easier if I had it up a little more and that there was too much resistance looking more straight down. I seem to be able to conciously fix that part anyway. But the breathing part still had me stumped.
It looks pretty simple what I need to do watching those videos and standing in front of a mirror, but swimming lap after lap focusing on nothing else I still didn't feel like I could do it. If I do a full catch-up drill that is the only time it feels like I am getting it. Don't know if doing that over and over could help ingrain it in me and eventually translate to a correct stroke? I will try the kickboard drill next time. I definately found out you are correct I couldn't just jump in and do it.
I will have to get a video up someday. I'm thinking MJ's first video about 40 seconds in is probably me. Strange thing I notice about that though is that the body does rotate a lot - just not in a good way.
