Just for context, I started swimming five years ago and I'm 42 years old. After a lot of floundering I got down to 1:50 per 100, and I do about 3000 meters a workout. I used to just swim it out, now I'm working on intervals and actually trying to push myself in a semi intelligent way.
I am haunted by my kicking problems, inasmuch as they're weaker than my arms and I tend to always move from side to side. I came to the conclusion this morning in my workout that breathing on only one side on every second stroke was forcing me to angle out every stroke and compounded my problems with keeping straight and letting my kicking propel me forward as opposed to side to side.
I started working this morning on breathing on alternate sides on every third stroke and while I have to re-train my lungs to accept the breathing differently and get comfortable one goggling the non dominant side, I immediately saw a big change in how I was gliding through the water and felt like I was swimming a bit with a pull buoy.
I had back surgery two years ago and for 18 months only swam with a buoy which probably made my problems a lot worse because I wasn't working on my core but was getting stronger with my pull, and wasn't addressing my weak kicking problem and facing up to the challenge of breathing on one side was pulling me a bit askance every stroke.
Anyways here's the question for you pros. Am I thinking about this problem right?
I tried to post the workout I need today. When I was working half through on breathing side to side I felt I had to go a lot slower to accommodate the new breathing technique and get comfortable with turning to the left, as well.
Any feedback would be really helpful. I know it's going to take a long time to put the breathing, catch and kicking pieces back together but I really want to get down into the 1:30's per 100 just for me, and I know without some great kicking I will never ever get there.
@Kari - thanks Kari, I'm going to draw a pull diagram and that might help me visualise what I need to try and achieve based on your notes
@67 King thank you. I definitely notice the difference when I breathe every 4 and every 2, because the stability every 4 is vastly different. Interestingly enough, I tried back stroke and butterfly for the first time and was markedly quicker than freestyle telling me that breathing to the side is really hampering me.
A question for you: I'm not sure what I am doing wrong on engaging the hips. As my mind is trying to process it, I'm trying to stay still so I don't snake, but engaging the hips means (to me) I twist them more?
@Paul - thank you. Your advice is really helpful. I am sure I look forward because I swim in an environment where if you're not looking in front of you, one will get a foot in the face. It's a bad habit that developed from trying to watch out.
I think on my pull I am taking the advice wrong to keep the elbow high and push back and its somehow become muddled. I was trying to keep elbow high and not bend from elbow to fingertips, but it's obviously not being executed properly.
DSG -
Thanks for the video. A couple of questions followed by comments:
Is there a reason why your pulling pattern is so far outside your body? Your pull begins, especially with your left arm, with an outward push which, because you are flat in the water, causes your shoulders (upper torso) to move "right" and your hips (lower torso) to move left - this causes the snaking. It would be interesting to see how this looks when you do not breathe.
Are you keeping your head position (during breathing and when not breathing) the way it is on purpose? The orientation of your head relative to your spine and chest is not good alignment. Alignment should be almost like when you walk down the street, so would you walk down the street with your head in this position and your chin so high? Your chin position reminds me of when I have to lift my head to see through the lower section of my glasses instead of the upper part.
Are you keeping your hips loose on purpose? Do you have any hip movement limitations? It looks like your right hip does not like to rotate "upward", but this could be because you breathe to the right coupled with lateral torso movement. I think what is happening is this: when you breathe, you are still jutting your chin forward AND lifting your chin at the same time. This results in a counteraction which forces your hips upward and breaks any connection with your legs.
IMO, your chin position and movement during your breathing should be the primary focus. Your chin (relative to your chest) should stay neutral at all times - like you are walking down the street - looking straight ahead. When breathing, the movement should be similar to looking sideways to make eye contact with someone your same height who is ~ 2 feet behind you and ~ 2 feet to your right. Conversely, what you are doing right now is looking at that same person, but there is a wall between the two of you and you are trying to move your upper body sideways to see around the wall. This is a pretty convoluted way to explain it - sorry. :)
In the end, as Steve mentioned, you want all movement to be rotational around a fixed axis. Currently though, that axis is NOT stable - it is moving side-to-side as well as up and down mostly because of what your head is doing. Snorkel will help - coupled with drills where you focus entirely on shoulder-hip rotation without your axis moving around.
Sorry - very long post.
paul
@Kari - thanks Kari, I'm going to draw a pull diagram and that might help me visualise what I need to try and achieve based on your notes
@67 King thank you. I definitely notice the difference when I breathe every 4 and every 2, because the stability every 4 is vastly different. Interestingly enough, I tried back stroke and butterfly for the first time and was markedly quicker than freestyle telling me that breathing to the side is really hampering me.
A question for you: I'm not sure what I am doing wrong on engaging the hips. As my mind is trying to process it, I'm trying to stay still so I don't snake, but engaging the hips means (to me) I twist them more?
@Paul - thank you. Your advice is really helpful. I am sure I look forward because I swim in an environment where if you're not looking in front of you, one will get a foot in the face. It's a bad habit that developed from trying to watch out.
I think on my pull I am taking the advice wrong to keep the elbow high and push back and its somehow become muddled. I was trying to keep elbow high and not bend from elbow to fingertips, but it's obviously not being executed properly.
DSG -
Thanks for the video. A couple of questions followed by comments:
Is there a reason why your pulling pattern is so far outside your body? Your pull begins, especially with your left arm, with an outward push which, because you are flat in the water, causes your shoulders (upper torso) to move "right" and your hips (lower torso) to move left - this causes the snaking. It would be interesting to see how this looks when you do not breathe.
Are you keeping your head position (during breathing and when not breathing) the way it is on purpose? The orientation of your head relative to your spine and chest is not good alignment. Alignment should be almost like when you walk down the street, so would you walk down the street with your head in this position and your chin so high? Your chin position reminds me of when I have to lift my head to see through the lower section of my glasses instead of the upper part.
Are you keeping your hips loose on purpose? Do you have any hip movement limitations? It looks like your right hip does not like to rotate "upward", but this could be because you breathe to the right coupled with lateral torso movement. I think what is happening is this: when you breathe, you are still jutting your chin forward AND lifting your chin at the same time. This results in a counteraction which forces your hips upward and breaks any connection with your legs.
IMO, your chin position and movement during your breathing should be the primary focus. Your chin (relative to your chest) should stay neutral at all times - like you are walking down the street - looking straight ahead. When breathing, the movement should be similar to looking sideways to make eye contact with someone your same height who is ~ 2 feet behind you and ~ 2 feet to your right. Conversely, what you are doing right now is looking at that same person, but there is a wall between the two of you and you are trying to move your upper body sideways to see around the wall. This is a pretty convoluted way to explain it - sorry. :)
In the end, as Steve mentioned, you want all movement to be rotational around a fixed axis. Currently though, that axis is NOT stable - it is moving side-to-side as well as up and down mostly because of what your head is doing. Snorkel will help - coupled with drills where you focus entirely on shoulder-hip rotation without your axis moving around.
Sorry - very long post.
paul
