Reviewing swimming or learning it for the first time

Triathlon Forum
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I am back in New York City for a day and then it is back to the country.

When I am not available write to FLA JILL. I have read her recommendations and she does a great job. I wish she would watch my stroke and evaluate it.

The three big issues swimmers have are when and how to breathe, arm recovery and kicking. Both of these impact on straight line swimming. The goal of every swimmer is to create a line of flow from your finger tips to toes. The longer your can maintain this flow line the faster and easier it is to swim. Turning your head when it is not in sync with your shoulder roll will cause you to go off the long axis of your body. Swinging your arms on recovery is a ballistic movement causes severe compensating reactions. Not pointing your toes and flexing your ankles stops the flow of water and causes your legs to drop when you swim.

Stand at the end of your pool and watch the swimmers move up and down the lane. If you see hips moving laterally, legs coming apart or scissoring these are head and/or arm problems. Notice that every time someone’s legs come apart they are also looking backward when they are breathing or swinging theirs arms around. If you cannot swim with your legs kicking close together you have a stroke error. The more resistance your create on the surface of the water the faster you will slow down. As you double your speed you create eight times the resistance. Swim straighter - swim faster!

Every part of your stroke and kick is related to every part of your stroke and kick. Your legs cannot work if your breathing is not coordinated with your body roll. If you cannot point your toes and get propulsion from your legs it will interfere with your arm extension and hip rotation. If you do not open your hips to initiate your pull you will have difficulty getting your shoulder/elbow to lead your stroke recovery.

Breathing does not enhance body rotation. It is not a part of swimming propulsion or arm recovery. It is a necessity of life! It should fit into your stroke so that it does not destroy it. Look at beginner skiers. They attempt to traverse by throwing their heads to one side and whipping their shoulders in hopes that their hips and skiis will follow. Advanced skiers always look down the mountain. Their feet and hips take care of directional changes. Many swimmers are now training with center snorkels (I love mine). They have taken head movement out of the swimming equation and can work on propulsion and arm recovery.

When to breathe - First of all, you exhale when your face is in the water and inhale when you turn your face to the side. I am not a proponent of bilateral or hypoxic breathing. Turning my head does not balance my stroke and holding my breath when I swim does not make much sense to me. I do breathe often when I bike and run. If you breathe on the right side imagine that the palm of your right hand has the word hip written on it. As your left hand enters the water opposite your right elbow and in line with your left shoulder, flex your right hand while your arm is fully extended, see the word hip written on it and start to open your right hip. This action will help keep your right shoulder riding high in the water. Now start to pull back and rotate your head in sync with your shoulder roll. Initially you will feel as if you are breathing much too soon. The reality is that your hand will be under your shoulder and you are halfway through your stroke. Look 90 degrees to the side. You will feel as if you are looking slightly forward (because you were used to looking behind). Half your face will still be under water. Because your head is timed with shoulder your roll it barely moves and does not impact on the rest of your stroke. Take your breath and return your face to the water. Your head will lead your arm recovery. You should be able to see your right hand enter the water.

Arm recovery - think - shoulder, elbow, hand. In this month’s issue of Swimming World Magazine there was an entire article devoted to Freestyle Recovery entitled “The Big Easy.” It featured Klete Keller’s arm recovery. The article presented several drills all designed to create and reinforce high elbow recovery. Finish your stroke with your palm facing the end of the pool (not the ceiling), shrug your shoulder (bring your shoulder toward you ear), touch you hip with your finger tips (keep your fingers relaxed), lift your elbow and keep bringing it forward until your hand is opposite the elbow of your extended arm.

As one hand enters the water is triggers the other side of your body into action. One arm is creating a flow line while the other arm is propelling you through the water. They are a team and work in a coordinated manner. You must wait for each part to do its work and then the entire stroke flows.

I hope this information is of value to you and as always it is my distorted view of how swimming works.

DougStern

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Good Stuff as usual!

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Doug,

Thanks for another great post. As a beginner swimmer, these mental notes of yours are very helpful. Have you considered writing a book to get all of these things together in one place. I, for one, would line up to buy it. You could include a chapter on water running and a chapter of swim workouts for all tri distances. Think about it!

OK - I suppose I should ask if you have already written said book and, if so, how can I get a copy?

Thanks again,

robert

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Thanks,

DougStern
.

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Robert

I would much rather write articles - they live. Ss soon as a book is written it is out of date.

Ask your questions and I will give you answers. It challenges my brain and keeps me alive. Life is interactive not static.

DougStern

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Doug, I kind of feel that if you wrote a book it would be like Doc Concilman’s book. It’s 30 yo, but most things are right in the money!

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Awww, thanks for the kind words. I’m a hobbyist who likes to pick things apart, and it’s neat to hear you’re thinking I’m getting something right.

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Robert

I would much rather write articles - they live. Ss soon as a book is written it is out of date.

Ask your questions and I will give you answers. It challenges my brain and keeps me alive. Life is interactive not static.

DougStern

You offered. I have a Kona-bound training buddy who has a fundamental flaw, whose cause is a mystery to me. When he finishes his stroke (both sides), his hand flips above his lower back across the centerline. His catch seems good, he doesn’t seem to have excessive roll, but his hand does go very deep when under his shoulder (nearly touching the bottom, it seems!). He is a great athlete in excellent condition, but did only about 36:00 at a recent half IM swim.

Insights appreciated.

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Doug, your second to last paragraph is something I struggle with. You say the hand entering the water signals the other side into action. So, should I keep that opposite hand out in front until the recovering hand is basically next to it? I see the younger kids in the workout before mine switching a piece of plastic between hands out in front, doing one arm at a time. I have always felt comfortable doing a sort of “windmill” with my arms almost exactly opposite in the catch pull recovery phases. I really appreciate the way you make us all think more about what we’re doing in the water.

Thanks alot,

Neil

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He is probably swimming with his hands leading the stroke as we used to do. If his hips lead his shoulder will remain near the surface and his stroke will be shallower.

Check to see when he is breathing. When people breathe late in the stroke they tend to look back causing the stroke to finish and continue toward the butt.

Keep asking,

DougStern

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Neil,

There is a catch up in your stroke but only to the point when your fingers enter the water. You right shoulder and left hip are connected. As one moves forward the other opens up. If you wait until both hands meet, there is a dead spot in your stroke.

The windmill stroke will eventually derstroy your shoulders. It is time to modify it.

DougStern

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Hi Doug. Hope the vacation is great. Doing any open water swimming?

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Smartasscoach,

One of my fears is that if I started writing a book it might seem like work and I hate work. If I can’t play I do not want to do it.

The other fear is if I write it maybe no one would read it.

DougStern

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I swam everyday in Mirror Lake. My wife and I would go for a bike ride and then I would head to the lake which was right behind my hotel. I would race with the local swimmers there.

It is a great place to swim.

DougStern

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Oh please, I can write the preface if you want… ;-)))

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FLA JILL,

Keep playing at learning. It should never stop. I am always picking up new insights to how people swim and learn.

Are you in Florida and if so where?

DougStern

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There is a catch up in your stroke but only to the point when your fingers enter the water. You right shoulder and left hip are connected. As one moves forward the other opens up. If you wait until both hands meet, there is a dead spot in your stroke.

So the catch up drill of passing something is a waste of time or it is used to under score that feeling? I find when I do a catch up drill I will start to sink at the point I am passing the item between hands.

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I live just outside of Niceville, which is an hour west-northwest of the IMFL start-finish line and an hour east of Pensacola.

Great weather for about 10 1/2 months of the year, but August is always just a little too hot & humid.

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The catch up DRILL is a wonderful drill. You will start to sink if you have a weak kick. In the drill, as soon as both arms are parallel mov e the other.

DougStern

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January can’t come to soon. I can’t wait for Curacao. If my no nothing about swimming mind can echo what you said I’d like to add that I cherish FLA Jill’s posts also. Thanks Jill and Doug

Pat