I don't know if you have seen my post from a previous thread but here it is anyways:
"Some good drills are:
1. Long-axis Sweet Spot:
Kick on your side with your bottom arm out, face in the water, and top arm down at your side. You should stay staight and stretch out. Over time, you'll develope a sweet spot where it seems your slicing through the water. Do it on both sides alternating every 25 or 50. This will help you find a good body line in the water. Breathing is done by just rotating your head sideways, but your body shouldn't move at all!
2. Sharkfin:
While kicking in the same position as Long-axis Sweet Spot, bring you top arm(or recovery arm) up keeping your hand about 8 inches away from your side but also having the tips of your fingers draggin the top of the water. You elbow should basically be at about a 90 degree bend. Stop once your hand reaches your armpit, then place it back down at ur side(don't place your hand in the water and pull). Remember: Don't loose your sweet spot which you found in the previous drill, keep your arm reaching far out, your head looking down, and kick.
3. Catch-up:
Start in your sweet spot position, then bring your top arm up just like in Sharkfin but continue moving your hand to a full recovery. The 'catch' is that you keep your bottom arm out until your hand touches it. Then, you begin a pull and rotate onto your other sweet spot. Always have a steady kick and keep your body inline.
For pulling:
4. Doggie-paddle:
Use a pull-bouy for this. It's basically what it sounds like but keep your head up or head down, don't kick, and do a semi-catch up under water. Make sure you finish your stroke by hitting your hips with your hands. Work on rotating your body and reaching out as far as you can. Tip: Don't move your extended arm until your recovering arm underwater is about a foot to 6 inches away from full extension.
5. Tarzan:
Pull bouy again. Don't kick. Your chin is on the surface the entire time looking staight ahead and as still as possible. Basically, you just swim with your head up. Though focus on body rotation and hand entry. Your hands shouldn't be layed into the water. You should slide them iin about a foot from your other hands finger tips. Purpose of your head being up is so you can watch your hands god in and make sure they're not doin' funky things.
Oh yeah, also good advice for those drills
Long axis Sweet Spot: Keep your palms down, which goes for everything else too.
Pulling: You know you have an efficient pull when you look at your arms pulling underneath you and you don't see any bubbles being carried along by them.
Also, very important. Practice bi-lateral breathing. (breathing to both sides) this helps you keep a balanced stroke which means you go straight. Also, it saves more energy versus breathing every on just one side. Ex. patterns: every 3, 2-3-2 or every 5. But no one really does every 5. But it's good for practice. =) "
From what I read in your first post about that breathing, try kicking more. If you have to raise out of the water to breathe, it means your most likely not riding high in the water. The higher you ride in the water is a key factor to how fast you go. To me, it seems like your most likely dragging your feet letting your lower body sink which isn't good. =)
Lots of guys I see get this wrong a lot too: When breathing, only half of your face should be out of the water. So basically, the water line goes right between your eyes. This will stop any neck pains your getting and help not twist your body allignment.
Tool tip: Use fins and a pull bouy frequently during drills and swimming. They help you focus on many parts of your stroke.
Breathing tip: If you have decent lungs, swimming shouldn't be a major breathing problem unless the chlorine levels are sky high. This may seem silly to others but many people have done it in the past. Make sure you exhale all the way. Some swimmers out there are so worried about inhaling, that they forget to exhale. Breath in through the mouth, exhale through the nose. Relax the mind, and enjoy the water. =D
"Some good drills are:
1. Long-axis Sweet Spot:
Kick on your side with your bottom arm out, face in the water, and top arm down at your side. You should stay staight and stretch out. Over time, you'll develope a sweet spot where it seems your slicing through the water. Do it on both sides alternating every 25 or 50. This will help you find a good body line in the water. Breathing is done by just rotating your head sideways, but your body shouldn't move at all!
2. Sharkfin:
While kicking in the same position as Long-axis Sweet Spot, bring you top arm(or recovery arm) up keeping your hand about 8 inches away from your side but also having the tips of your fingers draggin the top of the water. You elbow should basically be at about a 90 degree bend. Stop once your hand reaches your armpit, then place it back down at ur side(don't place your hand in the water and pull). Remember: Don't loose your sweet spot which you found in the previous drill, keep your arm reaching far out, your head looking down, and kick.
3. Catch-up:
Start in your sweet spot position, then bring your top arm up just like in Sharkfin but continue moving your hand to a full recovery. The 'catch' is that you keep your bottom arm out until your hand touches it. Then, you begin a pull and rotate onto your other sweet spot. Always have a steady kick and keep your body inline.
For pulling:
4. Doggie-paddle:
Use a pull-bouy for this. It's basically what it sounds like but keep your head up or head down, don't kick, and do a semi-catch up under water. Make sure you finish your stroke by hitting your hips with your hands. Work on rotating your body and reaching out as far as you can. Tip: Don't move your extended arm until your recovering arm underwater is about a foot to 6 inches away from full extension.
5. Tarzan:
Pull bouy again. Don't kick. Your chin is on the surface the entire time looking staight ahead and as still as possible. Basically, you just swim with your head up. Though focus on body rotation and hand entry. Your hands shouldn't be layed into the water. You should slide them iin about a foot from your other hands finger tips. Purpose of your head being up is so you can watch your hands god in and make sure they're not doin' funky things.
Oh yeah, also good advice for those drills
Long axis Sweet Spot: Keep your palms down, which goes for everything else too.
Pulling: You know you have an efficient pull when you look at your arms pulling underneath you and you don't see any bubbles being carried along by them.
Also, very important. Practice bi-lateral breathing. (breathing to both sides) this helps you keep a balanced stroke which means you go straight. Also, it saves more energy versus breathing every on just one side. Ex. patterns: every 3, 2-3-2 or every 5. But no one really does every 5. But it's good for practice. =) "
From what I read in your first post about that breathing, try kicking more. If you have to raise out of the water to breathe, it means your most likely not riding high in the water. The higher you ride in the water is a key factor to how fast you go. To me, it seems like your most likely dragging your feet letting your lower body sink which isn't good. =)
Lots of guys I see get this wrong a lot too: When breathing, only half of your face should be out of the water. So basically, the water line goes right between your eyes. This will stop any neck pains your getting and help not twist your body allignment.
Tool tip: Use fins and a pull bouy frequently during drills and swimming. They help you focus on many parts of your stroke.
Breathing tip: If you have decent lungs, swimming shouldn't be a major breathing problem unless the chlorine levels are sky high. This may seem silly to others but many people have done it in the past. Make sure you exhale all the way. Some swimmers out there are so worried about inhaling, that they forget to exhale. Breath in through the mouth, exhale through the nose. Relax the mind, and enjoy the water. =D