ankle band swimming tips

I'm similar. I can actually swim no problem with an ankle band as long as I have a pull buoy, but without that pull buoy, I need to put in a teensy ankle kick to kick to stop from the legs sinking - which does feel like cheating to me. I'm going at around 1:35/100 pace, but it doesn't seem like going faster is making it any easier as well. Am still trying to improve it though, as I'm pretty sure the gap between my legs when I'm swimming is contributing to my drag.

There's a youtube video of a guy doing it at 1:20ish pace, really well.

I tried this for the first time a few days ago and was completely vertical within about 2.5 strokes.  No idea how this is supposed to work.

I'm not a buoyant person naturally, but there must be more to it than that...my feet sunk like the mob put me in a pair of their patented concrete shoes.

couple of thoughts:

The bolded part caught my eye. Make sure you have no downward push in your pull motion. The motion should be backwards. if you have any downward push in your catch, you head and chest will rise and therefore feet sink.

Think of a board on the surface of the water. When you lift one end the other end sinks.

Also when you breathe, make sure you are only turning the head to the side. One goggle should stay in the water. If you lift your head while breathing, the feet will sink.

The only way to make this work is to maximize your rotation and your pull.  Check this video, the guy is swimming at FOP speed! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpXgRyc6r1U  Notice his body roll and how smooth he is.

You may have better results if you start with a band and a pull buoy.  Good Luck!

How does one do this without getting a mouthful of water??

Any tips for body rotation?? I haven't found a drill yet that seems to make a bit of difference in my rotation.

I can do it just fine with a pull buoy, but that kind of defeats the purpose of the drill.

Adult or kids buoy? And what are you using for the band? I've heard of put some air into a bike tire tube. The whole idea is a progression towards no assistance.

And for the 1 goggle & breathing. Your head makes a bow wave, and with the way it flows past your face, there should be just enough room to get a breath in. I can't link it at work, but Phelp's coach had a vid of this using Michael and also one of the girls who goes a bit too far.

I actually don't remember what I bought. Adult, I think. I use an old bike tube (not inflated) for the band. I understand the idea is progression, but if I can swim great with a buoy + band, and can't really do it with just a band, what's in between?

I still don't think I get it. I have one goggle underwater. That means the edge of my mouth is underwater as well. So if I open my mouth while part of my mouth is underwater, water goes in it. I must be missing something.

Weird.  I have often wondered what the point of this is because it doesn't seem hard to me.  Maybe I have legs that float easily.

All this does for me is keep me from kicking...which I really don't do much of anyway!  Feels very much like pulling with a pull buoy to me.

I think I found the video.

http://jslcswim.wikispaces.com/Freestyle+Breathing+Technique

I guess I'll just have to try it, but I'm still thinking I'm just going to inhale a bunch of water!!

The progression would be from the adult to the smaller kids one. Then with the bike tube, inflate it some. I haven't actually done this, so not sure of how it's best to tie it around, but this will give more lift than no inflation and less than a buoy.

And for the breathing you'll probably have to see it to believe it, but when there is the bow wave higher than the water's surface, there will have to be some part of it just below the surface. This is the pocket that you breathe in. It's not huge, but it's enough.

I struggled with this when my coach first had me doing the bands (she has me use an old pair of goggles around my ankles, instead of the tube/band).  I am currently using large flippers with the band (goggles).  And I can really feel the rotation (much more so than with the pull buoy)...I am up to 100 yds without drowning, lol, but I really have felt better on my MS after using the bands during my warm up.  I am going to try without the fins this weekend just for 25 yds to see if I can do it! 

So maybe this can be an in between?

Yes! That has the one I was thinking of. Note the part at the beginning about lifting the head or the chin (as being no-no's). Many people will do that and it makes this more difficult (along with throwing your front/back balance off to a degree). Have to keep the top of your head down and you're kind of looking back some when taking the breath. Katie over-rotates some, but she doesn't lift her head. Keep the top of your head down and get your jaw around.

When you get to open water and there are waves, it may be necessary to rotate a little more, but shouldn't have to do this in a pool.

That's actually one of the parts of swim form that I do very well. Thank you, years of yoga!

One gets a mouthful of water. One learns to like it.

I've got a coach at the moment who has me working on a variation of Adventure Bear's fabled breathing drill - turn to the side and open your mouth without breathing.

The main idea is getting used to the feel of having half a mouth full of water. You can take a "sip" of air easily enough without swallowing pool water.

 ... theoretically.

This is actually my 'remind myself' goal for head position whenever I'm swimming.

If my mouth comes more than half out of the water, or both my eyes pop over the water edge, I'm overdoing it.

The only catch is that this plan for good form does often go awry in open water swim with the chop where you may have to turn more than usual to get a breath, so be prepared to adapt on race day.

Holy freaking sinking legs Batman!!! 

I bought this of Amazon and tried it tonight.  2 strokes and I feel like a number 7.  Doesn't matter if I can bang of 1:25-1:35 100 repeats but I can's swim with it! 

Get a pull buoy I guess?

http://www.amazon.com/Speedo-Pulling-Ankle-Lock-Black/dp/B005LXKOMK/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334809895&sr=8-1-fkmr2

Don't get the pull buoy.  Just keep practicing.  Like everything else, it takes consistent, hard work to make something click.  I have been doing 20 x 50 with the band for about 5 weeks now.  Today was the first day where I didn't feel as if I were struggling or suffering.  The point of the band is to force you to use correct body positioning in the water, and the pull buoy would defeat the purpose, as it corrects body positioning for you.  Focus on maintaining balance, rotation, and make sure your eyes are looking at the bottom of the pool.  

It's freaking hard!!!!  I'm trying to swim 4-5 days a week and trying to incorporate the band and seems like its gonna be a waste of time (for now) up to until I learn how to use it. 

It is a freaking torture device!  I'll try again tomorrow for sure. 

Rotation and balance, rotation and balance rotation and balance...  Repeat 1 million times during the swim