I believe my number #1 issue with my swim stroke is flexibility with my right hand forward.
I started swimming for real about 2.5 years ago. Before getting more serious about swimming I only breathed left. When I started getting serious about swimming I switched to breathing right. Not exactly sure why.
Starting a few months ago I decided to finally learn bi-lateral breathing which I have. But I have serious flexibility issues when breathing left. I believe 2+ years of relatively serious swimming I have been able to become much more flexible with my left hand forward. It is a very comfortable position in the water. I can just glide in this position and keep speed very easily.
But with my right arm forward it is very difficult to get into the position and it is not comfortable. I also can not keep any speed and my hips drag.
It is also not completely clear to me why when breathing right why I don’t feel a flexibility issue when my right arm is forward when doing a non-breathing stroke.
I have tried to now swim more even when doing my sets. But I often do loose discipline and end up swimming more to my good side.
Is there a short cut to increase flexibility with my right arm forward? It would seem swimming three times a week and covering about 180 lengths each day with 16 strokes per length and swimming even left and right that would get me 1440 arm straightening exercises and would be by far the best way to improve flexibility. Each time I am really pushing the limit of how straight I can make my arm.
So I have been assuming it will just take patients and this is the best route to increasing flexibility. But wanted to put the question out to the fishes to see if there was better advice.
I should also mention that when swimming a lot my right shoulder does also get sore. It also has a pop in it. I don’t believe it is from streamlining with right arm forward but instead caused by my pull when breathing to my right.
You’re lifting your head more on one side than the other leading to shoulder problems and dragging hips. When you push down with your hand out front to lift your head, it puts a torque on your body and makes your hips drop.
I had a huge imbalance with one shoulder. I actually had a Chiro do some ART (active release therapy) to clean up adhesions etc… From there I was given a series of stretches to help keep things balanced. Seems to have helped.
In an attempt to answer a question that wasn’t asked - My suggestion is to breathe whichever way is comfortable. I breathe every other stroke - always on the right, and I’m a “decent” swimmer - FOP in local races.
If you can achieve good form breathing on one side, every other stroke, then go with it.
I feel that I am not lifting my head. But there has been times that my swim coach indicates I am doing something and he can tell from my face I don’t agree and then he will video tape me and show me and surprise, surprise I am doing it.
I appreciate the tip. Tonight I will work a little harder on my head. It is unfortunate but my swim coach is working on a project and has not had time for a lesson for a couple of months now. I have worked with him exclusively but infrequently over the last 2 years. I really, really did not want to work with anyone else.
I just feel it has something to do with the total comfort streamlining with left arm out and complete discomfort with right hand forward. I did wear a speed tube last night and it was helping a lot more with breathing left versus right. A sure sign that hips are dropping really bad on left breathing. I was actually a bit faster breathing left then right with it on. A little hard to judge as I can’t push off on turns at all while recovering from an injury.
I will breath mostly right when I race. I have a strong feeling that if I can improve my left breathing that my right breathing will also get faster. I have an issue when breathing right that my pull with my left feels really good. Love the timing and rotation with the pull. Feel my body is really working well with the pull. But my right pull I can not get the same feeling. I have tried different amounts of rotation and I am actually slower when I rotate more. The pull is strong but no body roll working with the pull. So it is more tiring and does cause my shoulder to hurt after a while.
I just have this feeling that if I can get more flexible with right arm forward it will solve this issue. I have very little flexibility of turning my right arm counter clockwise on the pull.
I feel that I am not lifting my head. But there has been times that my swim coach indicates I am doing something and he can tell from my face I don’t agree and then he will video tape me and show me and surprise, surprise I am doing it.
Simple solution. When you’re breathing to your left, work on keeping your right goggle underwater, and vice-versa.
I just have this feeling that if I can get more flexible with right arm forward it will solve this issue. I have very little flexibility of turning my right arm counter clockwise on the pull.
Yes, I see what you mean now… Honestly I think everyone struggles with that - it’s just not a natural motion. I’m surprised though that you have that feeling on your breathing side arm. I have the same feeling except on my left arm (and I breathe right side).
When you start your pull are your shoulders squared to the bottom of the pool (i.e. level in the water)? I know - or at least think - my issue is that my left arm is pulling too early, before I get square. I don’t know how you would be managing to do that on the breathing side though.
In addition to flexibility, build functional strength with stretch cords. Cords are a swimmer’s secret weapon! (… well, maybe not so secret, but they work)
how about this. the water doesn’t care which way your palm is facing when your arm is extended. when you are breathing on your left and your right arm is fully extended, the drag is the same whether your palm is facing down, left, right or up. the water also doesn’t care whether you catch with a vertical forearm, diagonal forearm or horizontal forearm.
so try this. given your shoulder flexibility where it is, breath on your left with your right palm facing to the left. catch diagonally to the left, and pull back as per usual.