My swimming video

larsoda, you are exactly right - I have been a right side breather forever and would still breath right in a race. But in the last couple of months I sucked it up and started breathing bilaterally in workouts. This is something I could only accomplish by finally learning to exhale more which eased the tension or else something magical just happened and I suddenly have more air. But because of all the years of right side breathing my left arm was really messed up, something I could feel even without video. The bilateral breathing in practice I think did help me gain a lot more symmetry in my stroke. Even though it still feels a little awkward, I was curious if my form could actually be better when breathing on my left because I hadn't developed all the bad habits. ...But it appears this is not the case. But I'm a little confused. The right side breathing I think caused a lack of rotation to the left side which caused my terrible left arm stroke and thumb entry. But it sounds like you are saying I am now over-rotating to the left which is causing the cross-over with the right arm? I know when I breath to the left I feel this extra hitch of effort to get my mouth out of the water so maybe that has something to do with it.

larsoda, you are exactly right - I have been a right side breather forever and would still breath right in a race. But in the last couple of months I sucked it up and started breathing bilaterally in workouts. This is something I could only accomplish by finally learning to exhale more which eased the tension or else something magical just happened and I suddenly have more air. But because of all the years of right side breathing my left arm was really messed up, something I could feel even without video. The bilateral breathing in practice I think did help me gain a lot more symmetry in my stroke. Even though it still feels a little awkward, I was curious if my form could actually be better when breathing on my left because I hadn't developed all the bad habits. ...But it appears this is not the case. But I'm a little confused. The right side breathing I think caused a lack of rotation to the left side which caused my terrible left arm stroke and thumb entry. But it sounds like you are saying I am now over-rotating to the left which is causing the cross-over with the right arm? I know when I breath to the left I feel this extra hitch of effort to get my mouth out of the water so maybe that has something to do with it.