Things Coach Says (and how to fix them)

Confused about a correction we tried to help you make at practice? Start here…

• You’re spinning on the wall when you do your flip turns.
• You’re not getting enough out of your start.
• Your breaststroke kick is too wide.
• You’re crossing over on your freestyle (or backstroke).
• You’re slipping your catch/pull.
• Your breaststroke timing is a little off.
• You’re breathing too late on your fly.

Spinning on Turns

Watch the swimmer’s turns in the vid below. There are a few key things to note:

• He’s on his back when he leaves the wall
• He rotates through to his front during the pushoff, instead of while his feet are still planted
• The amplitude of his dolphin kicks – see how they come from his chest and travel through his entire body?

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You’re going straight down on your start

You can fly! (at least for a short distance).

• There are two vids here – one short, one with more detail.
• Watch where the swimmer is looking on the start –  down at the bottom or up at the end of the pool?
• Hint: no matter what, you’re going down after you jump. The idea is to look where you *want* to go, and that’s to the other end of the pool
• Watch the swimmer’s back go from rounded to flat at ‘take your mark’. You do this by pulling in your core, which helps maximize your momentum.

Your breaststroke kick is too wide

• A wide kick means you’re fighting increased resistance from the water.
• Breaststroke is already the slowest and least efficient stroke – don’t make it any harder on yourself!
• Ideally, your knees shouldn’t go much wider than your shoulders.

You’re crossing over on your backstroke

• You probably feel like where your hand is entering now is helping you grab as much water as you can – reality might be different
• This is one of the most common errors in backstroke
• It’s also something that can really mess up your shoulders, so it’s a big one to fix.
  One way to fix it: watch your hands as far as you can. (Bonus: helps head position!)
• Best way: watch yourself on video.

You’re Slipping Your Catch

Slipping your catch means you’re not holding water when you pull, and consequently, you’re not going anywhere compared to the effort you’re putting in.

Things to watch for in the video:

• How completely the swimmer extends her arm
• The timing of when she starts bending her forearm
• Her body rotation

Your Breaststroke Timing is Suss

Pull -> Breathe -> Kick -> Glide. Sometimes it helps to say it (aloud or in your head) while you’re doing it.
There are two drills in this vid that are really helpful:

1) Breaststroke kick on your back – keep your knees under, bring your feet to your bum

2) Breaststroke speed drill: breaststroke arms with a flutter kick. The idea is to have a much higher turnover than you’d normally swim with. If you try to pull down too far, it’ll all fall apart.

Your Fly Timing is Suss

If timing is an issue for your fly, it’s usually a combination of 3 things: Kick, breath, or chest press.