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
You can also go to youtube and type in EVF + Swimming and see a host of videos on the topic.
Thank you! I found quite a few videos and will add another item to my list of stroke defects I need to fix.
In summary, I think if you can work on getting your breath with less rotation several issues with your stroke will clear up, at which point you could take another video for further analysis.
Everything you say makes total sense and I will primarily work on my over-rotation before I move on to the finer points.
I experimented with the head position at the pool today but once again found out that what I thought I was doing and what I was actually doing are two completely different things. I thought I was looking at the side of the pool with my shoulder quite close to my face and therefore low and less rotated. The truth is that the change in head position was almost unnoticable but the shoulder rotation was even more extreme, as if I were doing some kind of bizarre stretching exercise.
I was too occupied with trying to see the pool wall and still getting some air and probably hoped my rotation was reduced instead of having real control over it.
Nobody said it would be easy... If I didn't love swimming so much, I'd probably hate it. :)
Most of your breaths are taken with you looking into your armpit. I would suggest looking at the side wall similar to Thorpe picture that Linsay posted.
I will do that--or drown trying. :)
Thank y'all for your feedback! I really appreciate that you're taking the time to analyze my problems and provide solutions.
You can also go to youtube and type in EVF + Swimming and see a host of videos on the topic.
Thank you! I found quite a few videos and will add another item to my list of stroke defects I need to fix.
In summary, I think if you can work on getting your breath with less rotation several issues with your stroke will clear up, at which point you could take another video for further analysis.
Everything you say makes total sense and I will primarily work on my over-rotation before I move on to the finer points.
I experimented with the head position at the pool today but once again found out that what I thought I was doing and what I was actually doing are two completely different things. I thought I was looking at the side of the pool with my shoulder quite close to my face and therefore low and less rotated. The truth is that the change in head position was almost unnoticable but the shoulder rotation was even more extreme, as if I were doing some kind of bizarre stretching exercise.
I was too occupied with trying to see the pool wall and still getting some air and probably hoped my rotation was reduced instead of having real control over it.
Nobody said it would be easy... If I didn't love swimming so much, I'd probably hate it. :)
Most of your breaths are taken with you looking into your armpit. I would suggest looking at the side wall similar to Thorpe picture that Linsay posted.
I will do that--or drown trying. :)
Thank y'all for your feedback! I really appreciate that you're taking the time to analyze my problems and provide solutions.
