You're breathing is taking too long. Need to have all air blown out by the time you bring your head to the side to breath so you can get your head back down sooner. Having your head in the breathing position to long is throwing off the timing of the stroke as your right arm is over halfway done with the pulling phase before you even start moving your head back to the down position making your left arm recovery delayed.

Also, get your hips rotating more in sync with your upper body. Having them drag flat behind you like that is just adding drag and just poor mechanics for long distance swimming.

What's your shoulder flexibility like? You look pretty inflexible to me. All the previous suggestions are fine, but if you're not flexible it's going to be hard to change some things that need to be changed.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

First off, thanks to you both for taking the time to comment.

I swim alone now, but my former masters coach used to ask me if I could extend my arms above my head and I can, no problem. She also mentioned that I was swimming too flat from not rotating enough. I think I'm flexible in shoulders/arms yet I know my reach is really short. I've never adapted to a longer reach after practicing that old JonnyO OWS swim technique vid. that rotates my elbows up to get a nice high elbow catch.

I'm in my fifth year of swim training and have only had a few good race OW swims (all in short races). I guess it's really hard for me to make changes unless they are very minute, and even then I'll need to think about it constantly.

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Madison photographer Timothy Hughes | Instagram

Catch up drill and kick on your side with bottom arm extended.

You really need more reach in front

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

What are the main stretches you recommend adult onset swimmers need to do to help?

Thanks!

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http://www.clperformancetraining.com
http://www.pillasport.ca

Thanks for posting.

Since I left masters I all but gave up on drills. Just do the occasional pull buoy/snorkel/paddles stuff. Will add those drills back in.

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Madison photographer Timothy Hughes | Instagram

I do drills every time I get in the water.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Tim, timing off, flexibility and relaxation is needing help. The video is cropped, but it appears that your lower body is adding to the issues with a very wide splayed kick. That may be a cause or a reaction to another issue. Why don't you give me a message and I'd be more than willing to help. I've taught quite a few to swim of all ages, so I would be more than willing to help you out.

Thanks Gary. Will definitely take you up on that.

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Madison photographer Timothy Hughes | Instagram

This is ones of those videos where I actually do NOT say 'just go for the swim power' - plenty of stuff to easy fix there! (Particularly with the under-reach)

Anytime buddy. I really would like to help....