Hey, just started swimming again the past month after years of stopping. The getting back into the groove always sucks, i've been in this situation before quitting and rejoining the swim team (now just doing it for exercise).
Basically back into the groove except my bad habits, which take months for me to fix, keep showing up. Mainly, it's that my stomach tends to droop with freestyle, somewhat during breaststroke but easier to fix, and sticks out with backstroke but is also easier to fix. I think it's fine during butterfly, probably because of using so much stomach muscle. It's kind of hereditary bad habit with many family members on my dad's side to arch our lower back constantly, do to our big butts. =P
Anyway, i try fixing the problem but it wears me out in the water. Also for some reason i find it harder to take breaths. I could be tightening my abs too much...? All i remember from before was slowly fixing the problem until the correct way felt no different. It took months and sometimes i'd slip back into it, esp when tired.
Has anyone else been through a similar problem and found a quick fix? Btw, my coach just yelled at me to keep my stomach up; now there is no one to yell at me so i'm looking for a more creative solution... always thinking i won't have to suffer to get results. There's just gotta be a loop hole- jus godda. Hope someone can help.
Former Member
yocal,
you need to do drills to learn to properly align your body when breathing, trying to fix bad stroke while swimming hard/fast won't work. Ask your coach for help. Here is a drill that did alot for me back in the day. It will not only help you to breath correctly, but also get you used to breathing on both sides, which is a big deal.
1: sidekick
push off wall, take 1 stroke, leave other hand out in streamline (this hand will be on bottom). stroke'd hand will now be down at your side, near your thigh. do 8 flutter kicks. now comes the hard part, breath towards the shoulder with the hand at your thigh. As you complete you breath and are putting your face back in the water, take a stroke with your down hand and recover the hand that was at your thigh. You will now be in the same sidekicking position, on the opposite side. repeat. make sure you complete the breath BEFORE you start your stroke.
Thanks Newport, but my breathing problem was only a direct result of stuggling to keep my stomach from hanging down. Everything is slowly working itself out as it did before, actually quicker than when i was last rejoined the team. My stomach hangs low sometimes when i'm tired but doesn't effect my breathing at all or effect my time much. Causes some drag but i think it's just one of those things that you subconsciously fix over time. I was struggling to force myself into the correct way so much it wore me out but without even thinking about it i dove into the water and swam straight as an arrow not long after my first post.
It sounds like you have a weak lower back. You ought to find some strengthening excercises to target those muscles. Also, I wonder if swimming with one of those back-support things would help?
... My stomach hangs low sometimes when i'm tired but doesn't effect my breathing at all or effect my time much...
Yocal,
glad you are feeling better in the water again.
I still vote you give the drill a chance, it is all about controlling HIP elevation and rotation while you swim. Specifically keeping your hips up and aligning them correctly with your shoulders to generate efficient drive. You say you feel your stomach sinking, I'd bet your hips are low as well.
Usually in my experience, if your stomach is down, ( your hips are too) it is caused by your face not being in the water enough. (your head being held to high out of the water.) It is all about stream line. flat in the water.
Drills are great advise. I would also add a quick check every 200 or so, for a whole lap, when you breathe if your ear on the opposite side that you breathe on is in the water. If not you are lifting your head to far out of the water, your stomach is falling and so are your hips. And practice keeping rolling head and not lifting it.
Stream line could be your answer.
All above advise has helped a lot. Thanks to all of you. I guess my head was just an inch too high out of the water which makes all the difference. That has helped the most. Sidekick drill, forgot about that one and how much i hated it! haha... Although we didn't rotate and flutter kick drills wipe me out the most. Also been working on my lower back and abs out of the water and this i think is helping too.
Thanks again. I'll have to check out more drills on this site. Looks like a great place to find some.
