I only started swimming freestyle less than a year ago and I'm still struggling with quite a few issues:
1. When breathing to the left, my head head-spine alignment vanishes and it appears as if I'm trying to change direction while lifting my head; I have no clue why I might be doing that.
2. I over-rotate when breathing.
3. Even with a slow hand entry, there's a lot of splashing going on.
In the answers to a few other posts I read that videos help, so I've put a few online:
Back/front view:
www.youtube.com/watch
Right side view:
www.youtube.com/watch
Left side view:
www.youtube.com/watch
In general, breathing in freestyle is problematic for me. When I swim relaxed enough to breathe with ease, my form totally degenerates and I'm wiggling through the water, almost flipping on my back when breathing. If I focus on a certain aspect of my stroke, for example, keeping my chin close to the shoulder or reaching out when rotating to air, or synchronizing my kick with my stroke, I find that I build up so much oxygen debt that I cannot swim more than two lengths in a 50 m pool without pausing.
I can only guess why--I probably forget to breathe out with sufficient force because I'm busy with other things and when I realize that I need more air than I'm currently getting, anxiety kicks in and everything falls apart.
I'll happily accept any comments on my videos or general advice that might help me not drown and maybe even improve my stroke. :)
Thank you!
Parents
Former Member
Thank you for your input, Lindsay and geochuck!
You are definitely over-rotating, you can see it most clearly in the fourth attached image.
I am guessing that your goal stroke is as shown here:
www.youtube.com/watch
I would be quite content with that stroke; I guess that is my goal stroke.
When you breath only one eye should come out of the water, you should be looking at the edge of the pool not the ceiling/sky, see the second attached image.I'll follow your advice and try looking at the side of the pool when breathing. I just fear that the only thing above the water will be the one goggle while the mouth remains submerged. ;)
You might try either dragging your fingertips along the top of the water or the zipper drill to get a better recovery, your hand seems to me to be too high on the recovery, possibly either as a result of or contributing to your over-rotation.I hadn't realized that my hand was too high but I'll try to fix that with the prescribed fingertip drag drill.
Head too low in the water.
I'm not keeping the head that low on purpose. I realize that the back of my head should clear the water; it just never happens. I probably have to work on keeping my neck straight but maintaining that requires a lot of effort.
When you breath in your mouth is right in your arm pit.I'm not sure how to fix the breathing into my armpit. By breathing earlier?
You are looking back when you breathe, can you see the wall that you have left when you pushed off.I'm not looking back; does my head position indicate that I do?
I usually see the sky above me, maybe a few treetops through peripheral vision. If I want to see the wall behind me, I have to concentrate on looking back over my shoulder.
Your body fishtails.Had you seen the amount of fishtailing a few months ago, you'd praise me for being so calm in the water now. :D
I'm working on the fishtailing by strapping my ankles together and swimming one-arm freestyle.
Swimming with one arm is quite hard because I cannot get the breathing right - I rotate even more. I might have to do more of that drill until it feels natural.
Thank you for your input, Lindsay and geochuck!
You are definitely over-rotating, you can see it most clearly in the fourth attached image.
I am guessing that your goal stroke is as shown here:
www.youtube.com/watch
I would be quite content with that stroke; I guess that is my goal stroke.
When you breath only one eye should come out of the water, you should be looking at the edge of the pool not the ceiling/sky, see the second attached image.I'll follow your advice and try looking at the side of the pool when breathing. I just fear that the only thing above the water will be the one goggle while the mouth remains submerged. ;)
You might try either dragging your fingertips along the top of the water or the zipper drill to get a better recovery, your hand seems to me to be too high on the recovery, possibly either as a result of or contributing to your over-rotation.I hadn't realized that my hand was too high but I'll try to fix that with the prescribed fingertip drag drill.
Head too low in the water.
I'm not keeping the head that low on purpose. I realize that the back of my head should clear the water; it just never happens. I probably have to work on keeping my neck straight but maintaining that requires a lot of effort.
When you breath in your mouth is right in your arm pit.I'm not sure how to fix the breathing into my armpit. By breathing earlier?
You are looking back when you breathe, can you see the wall that you have left when you pushed off.I'm not looking back; does my head position indicate that I do?
I usually see the sky above me, maybe a few treetops through peripheral vision. If I want to see the wall behind me, I have to concentrate on looking back over my shoulder.
Your body fishtails.Had you seen the amount of fishtailing a few months ago, you'd praise me for being so calm in the water now. :D
I'm working on the fishtailing by strapping my ankles together and swimming one-arm freestyle.
Swimming with one arm is quite hard because I cannot get the breathing right - I rotate even more. I might have to do more of that drill until it feels natural.
