Swim Video Clip

need headshot...

shelley t

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: Once you correct your breathing, I think all other issues willl be easy to address.

Priority

Recommendation

Breathing. When breathing, you press your leading arm deep into the water, and you lift most of your head out of the water. Learn to leave your leading arm extended to provide buoyancy while you breathe, and just rotate your face to the air instead of lifting your head out of the water. Have a look at the first video on the Video Clips - Breathing page (from SwimTherapy). It is long but very well done. This may go away when you correct your deep catch and pull (above).

Posture and Balance. Because you are breathing on one side only, you have developed a very unbalanced stroke. This produces too much up-and-down movement, which increases drag. This problem may go away when you correct your breathing (see above)

Arms. Your left arm pulls under your body, which means that it slips laterally as you try to move forward. Your right arm stroke is deep and straight. With a deep stroke you spend extra time and energy pushing down on the water, and extra time and energy pulling the arm out of the water. See the Catch & Pull page, and watch how Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen uses her arms on the first video of the All Around Good Swimming page.

Links

MIT Tri Team

Open Water Swimming