Swimming Help - Post your videos (Page 2)

Hey I think you need to set those videos as public. we cant see them

They're both already set to public. Not sure why you can't see them.

Ah now it works, not sure what was happening before.
I'll point out a few big things right off the bat. When you breathe, you're lifting your whole head up out of the water, which drops the lower part of your body, which is like slamming on the brakes. It will take some practice, but try looking at the bottom of the pool. The idea is that you're like a pig on a spit, with a rod going from the center of the top of your head, all the way through your body, and you're rotating around that axis. When you breathe, you'll be rotating your head around that same axis, but never lifting it up out of the water. Ideally only about half of your face would be out of the water.
Second, your kick is very wide. Try to keep it in the shadow of your body.
Check out this guy to see what I'm talking about with these 2 big points, it will help to see someone else do it.
Keep practicing, you'll get it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3HhNlysFDs

Hey there! I'm doing this from a plane, with spotty internet, so forgive me

Stroke looks pretty good!

Here are some suggestions.

Rotation - Her stroke is pretty flat, except when she breathes, then it gets exaggerated. It's almost like she's looking behind her when she breathes. So, I would be recommending the Catch up drill that I recommended earlier.

Left hand - Her left hand seems to cross the imaginary centerline quite a bit. I think this will sort itself out with the rotation.

Kick - There is a bit of kick from the knee, not the hip as the video progresses. Initially, her kick looks pretty good, but it becomes more from the knees and less from the hips. Kicking with a board and focusing on kicking from the hips, straight legs... that will help.

I think it was the PCT... with the INSANE run up the HILL to T1...

Hi! I can see what you mean by cloudy, but the videos work just fine. It's the internet here on the plane that's the problem... it's kinda hit or miss.
Let's see what I can come up with, I might have to add more later when I can see the video without buffering

S-turns - If you watch the video, you will notice that you are snaking a bit as you swim. It seems to be happening as you breathe, so without seeing the topside view, I'm going to assume that you are almost lifting your head out of the water. Try to exhale while your mouth is under water, there is simply not enough time to inhale and exhale during a breath. Then, instead of picking your head up out of the water, try to roll your head to the side to breathe. If you ever watch me swim, you can almost never see my mouth when I breathe. It is tucked away between the wave created by my head and my armpit. You want to try to keep your body as straight as possible. This leads to the next suggestion.

Hips low - So, once we get your roll down and head in line, we can start addressing the hips. This is going to help you feel less like you're climbing a ladder. There are 2 main reasons for hip sag... looking the wrong place, or weak core muscles. You seem to be looking in the right place, straight down. I may actually add another reason for low hips.... your kick You have a very typical "runners kick." This happens with a ton of people, nothing to worry about. Let's try to get you to do a few strange drills that should help.

Vertical Kicking - Go to the deep end of the pool. Take a kick board and let go of the wall. Hang off the board vertically, and start kicking. You want to be pointing your toes and keeping your chin above the surface of the water. Now, do the same thing without the kick board. Get your power from your quads and hips on this drill. Try 20 seconds at a time.

Kick sets - Grab a pair of cheap short fins, if you want to go really cheap, take a pair of long fins and cut them down. Personally, I use Zoomers, and I will swear by them. Fins can increase your ankle flexibility, allow you to do swimming drills with ease, and strengthen the right leg muscles you need to kick. Do not rely on fins, they are simply a tool to increase flexibility.

Stretching - Before you swim and after you swim, make sure to stretch out your legs and feet.

Your goal here is to keep your kick nice and tight, not like scissors. Try the drill above, and post another video in a few weeks.

Rotation - Your upper body is rotating, but your lower body is not really. Just work on the above, then we can work on this

Randy,

I'm not skipping you! Your video and this plane's wifi do not like each other. I'll take a better look when I get home.

Hey!

The videos show that you and nx882 have a lot in common. Go take a look at what I wrote for him, try that.

Post a video in two weeks or so and let's see what that does. I'm about 20 minutes from landing, I'll check back in with you.

Coach. I hope you will check this down the road. I am not sure when I will get a chance to upload a video. I have the TI video and have done some work on lesson 1 and 2. I am training for my first sprint ( only a 400 yard swim ). I recently swam a mile in one session. I would like some tips on my form but am not sure how long it will be before I can get some video. In the interim can you give me your thoughts on increasing strokes before taking a breath. I recently started working on some sprint work 25 and 50 yard. Instead of breathing on each rotation I have increased it to three rounds to one breath on the sprints. Is extended rotations a legitimate option for distance swims ?

Ahh cool man! You're right, that hill to T1 is a killer! I remember thinking, do I wanna run up that and burn that match too early? YES I DO! IT'S A SPRINT TRIATHLON! :D

Thank you for reviewing my swim stroke and the others.

Thanks for the feedback. We'll give these a try. It's amazing how far she's come in just a few weeks of work!

Thank you. I'll be patient. I appreciate any help.

Thoughts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2sfTh2OWYg

@Swimaway - Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts. I don't currently have a set of fins, so I will get a pair and I will add in the kick drills you mentioned to my workouts. 'll try to post a follow up video in a couple weeks to compare.

Randy, for some reason I can't get your video to load.

Hey there!

Video is a bit grainy on full screen, but it should work.

Not too bad overall! I think if you worked on your efficiency of each stroke you would notice a huge improvement.

I would try the following

Swim Golf - Swim a 50 (down and back) and count your strokes. Add the strokes to the seconds it took you to complete the 50 (i.e. 40 strokes, 40 seconds = swim golf score of 80) Now, try and repeat the 50 a few different times and reduce the number of strokes, to increase the score. You are aiming to make each stroke count toward moving you forward in the water.

Fist swim - Swim a set of 50's, instead of having an open hand, keep it closed in a fist on the first 25, then open hand on the second 25. Here's a video to show you what it should look like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul3yH2tzwAU

Finally, I would try to incorporate a bit of catch-up freestyle into each workout, there are videos posted above that show how to do that.

Ok, thank you for trying.

I'm not giving up yet, I'll try it on the iPad when I'm on a better internet connection at work

you appear to be pushing your head down in the water and pulling your elbow behind your back at the start of recovery...that combination creates a lot of stress & tension in the swim and isn't very relaxing. Try that posture standing up...push your chin forward and pull your elbow behind your back...ick...tension!

Relax the had a little more and think of tall posture in the water. Learn the "Skating" position with 1 arm leading, body slightly angled (belly button pointing at about the bottom line of the lane next to you), and feel your streamlined relaxed position here with head looking down. You can use small fins for this position.

This will help you travel further with each stroke which is what the OP was referring to with the swim golf...getting more out of each stroke. Find your streamlined position so you can amctually travel forward easier.

Finally rather than pulling your elbow towards the sky then reaching with the hand on your recovery, think about gently circling the elbow wide and forward letting the wrist follow the elbow on recovery. THis will get the weight of the recovering arm in frotn of your lungs faster, which will help your balance...which will help your posture...which will help your relaxation...etc.

If you can be in skate position while the recoveyr arm has a cleaner exit and swing forward as described, you'll still be moving forward during this time rather than fighting your balance to stay on the surface.

Hello, not sure if this thread is still active. If it is, I would like some feedback, since this is my first tri and I'm not a swimmer. I'm 48 female and not athletic in youmger years. I learned to swim not too long ago and would like to develop the right habit. I'm also slow- 4 minutes (100m).

The video is taken at a hotel pool last week. My tri is reverse sprint, thus, I would like to make sure I won't be tired and not run out of breath. Thanks

Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKzQCZOtu4M

1. Pull is super wide. How flexible are your shoulders?
2. Poor shoulder/body rotation.
3. Elbow drop. As soon as you catch your elbow drops and you are dragging your arm back.
4. You are moving your hands and arms through the water. You need to HOLD water.
5. Kick. Kicks should be smaller. You are not pointing your toes, hard to tell if its because of poor flexibility.
Watch "High Elbow Catch Training with Olympian Sheila Ta…" on YouTube
High Elbow Catch Training with Olympian Sheila Ta…: http://youtu.be/ENgIRfj1l4c

Thanks for the analysis. I will look for high elbow catch drill.

Not sure how to post videos, but will give it a shot. 56 years old, and just started training for Tri's. I can swim, but no formal lessons. 25 yds winded me to the point of resting, now about 4 weeks later I can do 13x100yds sets. Anything beyond 100 yds is a challenge. Here are 2 videos, first straight on/away and second from side.