Strokes

It's difficult to tell from that angle, but it looks to me like on your freestyle, your right forearm and hand is pulling at an angle outside of elbow and shoulder line rather than angled inside towards your core. It would be much easier to see at a straight-on angle. For that matter, now that you have the side view of all of your strokes, try doing a repeat of the recording session from a straight on view. When I have my husband shoot video of my strokes, I have him do topside side view and front view, and underwater side view and front view. I pick up different things from each video. (As a result, I also get frustrated looking at the videos, because I see the same darn stroke flaws I thought I had already conquered! :frustrated: ​Overall, your strokes look fabulous-- way better than any of mine, that's for sure!

For that matter, now that you have the side view of all of your strokes, try doing a repeat of the recording session from a straight on view. When I have my husband shoot video of my strokes, I have him do topside side view and front view, and underwater side view and front view. That's a good idea. I know that occasionally I go lopsided, especially on backstroke, and a straight on underwater angle would be more educational as to why. Might try a couple other angles Sunday - usual morning practice is at 5am, and I don't think it would be bright enough to video underwater until the very end. Sunday is at 7 which is much better.

So I took some underwater video last weekend, got some snippets of all the strokes. Definitely a lot I see to work on - my catch in all the strokes is pretty weak, dolphin kick on the breaststroke pullout is driving me too deep probably and my recovery in the *** is probably to dive-y. Anybody else see anything constructive? https://youtu.be/s28Bdcowudc Yes you are a little too deep in the BR pullout. I can't see the push off nor really see the dolphin kick to know why. If you find your self a little deep going into the pull down, just aim up a little during the pull down to get shallower. The big thing i notice is that as you send your arms forward on the recovery after the pull down you are doing the last part too slowly. It is fine to move the hands slowly as you creep them forward along your body, but once you get to about where they are in the regular stroke recovery you need to shoot them forward. You shoot them forward well during the regular strokes, but not in that pullout. Also, with your BR kick, you are bending too much at the hip, increasing drag. It is interesting that in the underwater kick of your pullout you don't do that. Watch that first kick, that's what they all should look like.

...dolphin kick on the breaststroke... If you're doing that on your breaststroke...I don't see it. Regarding your backstroke. Kick looks a bit low to me...body not level in the water. Hard to tell...maybe your head isn't as far back as it should be. Dan

You are looking forward in all of them except back

If you're doing that on your breaststroke...I don't see it. On the pullout, not the stroke itself. Regarding your backstroke. Kick looks a bit low to me...body not level in the water. Hard to tell...maybe your head isn't as far back as it should be. I did notice I ride pretty low in the water on my backstroke. I think I have a lot more mass in my legs than I did when I was a 200 backstroker. Really trying to work in some longer kick sets to build up endurance there.

Beautiful!!

On a more geeky note, thanks for your advice on underwater cameras. I ordered a non-brand Go-pro knockoff like yours yesterday. I'm very impressed by the quality of the video taken by your camera and can't wait to get mine. Did you tie your camera to the ladder?

YAlso, with your BR kick, you are bending too much at the hip, increasing drag. It is interesting that in the underwater kick of your pullout you don't do that. Watch that first kick, that's what they all should look like. OK, that makes a lot of sense and I see exactly what you mean here - changing that seems like a little more than a small tweak though. Any ideas on anything I could do for some kind of tactile cue or drill? I feel like it would involve pulling my hips forward/chest up a little more on the pull?

JPEnge, thanks for posting the video. I agree with your self-assessment above. I'd also encourage you to work on reducing the amount of air that you are catching in your pull and - to a certain extent - in your kick. Taking a look at your videos, there is a predominant presence of air bubbles generated from your recovery/entrance into the water, indicating an inefficiency to your stroke and lack of maximum propulsion. You can also try to work on your flexibility overall. Hope this helps. Keep up the swimming and good luck!