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lucy k
Notes

Adult Open Water Swim Program - Initial Evaluation - June 6, 2011

Click here for instructions on how to use the video player. Use the Turn Comments On or Off buttons for voice-over comments. Note that you can play the clips one frame at a time or in slow motion using the player control buttons. Play the clips with and without comments, and then see the Drill Clips and Stills pages (above) for suggestions on how to deal with the issues mentioned.

Summary - Technically you are doing a lot of things well, but you need to focus on not pulling until you have anchored your hand and forearm in the water.

See also: 2010 clips

Priority
 Recommendation
1
 Catch and Pull. You are getting your arm too deep into the water, which gives you a short stroke and pulls your body deeper into the water. After you reach full extension, keep driving your elbow forward while you get your hand and forearm vertical in the water. Have a look at the Mastery - Catch & Pull page, and note how early in the stroke cycle the swimmer gets her hand and forearm vertical in the water.
2
 Kicking. Your kicking is not connected to your arm stroke. Learn to begin your hip rotation with a rotational kick from the lower leg. For good info on kicking, see the great Swim Smooth article: Leg Kick in the Freestyle Stroke. Also see Coach Emmett Hines' series of articles on connecting up the kick, beginning with Bottom Up Swimming - Part 1 (you need to be in a deep pool to do vertical kicking, which is how his progression starts).
3

Breathing. You are popping your face out of the water too forcefully, and that disrupts your posture. Roll your face to the air more gently, with your body roll. Have a look at the first video on the Video Clips - Breathing page (from SwimTherapy). It is long but very well done.

Links
MIT Tri Team Open Water Swimming  

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