General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Please Critique my Swim (freestyle) Rss Feed  
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2015-07-30 9:30 AM

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Subject: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)
I came to triathlons from running and cycling, with almost no swim experience. I watched all the videos on youtube that I could and immediately hired a coach. I'm finally to a point of feeling efficient, I still don't have a ton of endurance but I've learned ways to correct my form when it starts to fall apart. Hiring a coach was probably the best thing I could have done because it was nice to have someone specifically look at me and say "no don't do that", "you're overrotating" etc.

Please watch the video and give me any feedback, good or bad. I know, I know, you're going to ask why I did an open turn..... my flip turns are mediocre so my coach pushes me to do open turns so I'm not distracted and don't have an excuse to stop. (I've stopped a couple of time because of missing my last breath at the T)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_gJvRFcgw0

sorry for the quality..... it looks good on my computer and got a little worse when uploading to youtube.

Edited by amalgamate 2015-07-30 9:31 AM


2015-07-30 9:51 AM
in reply to: amalgamate

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Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)

your recovery is led with your hands, not your elbows. relax your arms during the recovery phase.

2015-07-30 10:31 AM
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Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)
Originally posted by dmiller5

your recovery is led with your hands, not your elbows. relax your arms during the recovery phase.



Hey thanks! that's a huge help and something that my coach hadn't pointed out. This will definitely be my focus for the next few swims.

Edited by amalgamate 2015-07-30 10:31 AM
2015-07-30 12:57 PM
in reply to: amalgamate

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Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)
I saw the same thing. If your elbows are straight and you lead with your hands, you have two options (neither of which are good): you either swing your arms out wide or you windmill with your hands coming way out of the water.
Try the "fingertip drag" drill to get a feel of what you should be doing during your recovery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XITzpum5lxA

Another thing I noticed (and it's really only because what what I'm focusing on at the moment) is that your kick seems pretty wide. Try to imagine yourself in a tube only slightly bigger than your body. Then kick as if you don't want to bang your feet on the edge of that tube. The pace of your kick will increase but the distance won't. This will also improve your roll because you won't be able to do that larger kick to rotate to your other side. So your rotation will stem from your hips rather than your kick (as it should).

Other than those two points, I thought it looked good. Hard to tell what you are doing under water. You might see if you can get your hands on a GOPRO and do the same thing with that.

Nice work!
2015-07-30 1:30 PM
in reply to: pwoolson

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Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)

your kick seems pretty wide

This is happening partly because the left hand is crossing over centerline just a tad when it enters the water.  I bet if you swim with your eyes shut, you'll be veering to the right.  The bi-lateral breathing is helping even you out but also the kick, I think, is correcting you back on line slightly.

Don't make a HUGE correction on this -- you're really close.  But try to keep that hand entry straight ahead.

2015-07-30 1:57 PM
in reply to: amalgamate

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Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)
This is really good feedback everyone! I have a gopro type of camera (basically an offbrand) so I might try to get some underwater footage.


2015-07-30 2:20 PM
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Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)
Originally posted by spudone

your kick seems pretty wide

This is happening partly because the left hand is crossing over centerline just a tad when it enters the water.  I bet if you swim with your eyes shut, you'll be veering to the right.  The bi-lateral breathing is helping even you out but also the kick, I think, is correcting you back on line slightly.

Don't make a HUGE correction on this -- you're really close.  But try to keep that hand entry straight ahead.




Funny you say this...... my last tri was open water and my sighting was not as great as it should have been...... constantly going right and having to work my way back. also.....there's a lane at my gym that doesn't have the line and whenever I get stuck with that lane I always hit the right divider. So this is great feedback.

Edited by amalgamate 2015-07-30 2:26 PM
2015-07-30 3:08 PM
in reply to: amalgamate

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Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)

I'd like to see you get to more of a high elbow catch & pull.   Right now you're keeping a straight arm and leading with your elbow during the pull.  Your right arm gets way wide at times too.

For the catch, one of the things that helped me was to visualize that you're draping your arm over the hood of a Volkswagen Beetle. The outside of your elbow should rotate up which will naturally put your hand and forearm in a better position for the catch.

Thinking about brushing your thumb against your thigh is a good way to help you finish your pull.  

Glad you're working with a coach.  Nothing better than immediate feedback when you';re working to improve.

Keep up the good work!

Mark

2015-07-30 3:47 PM
in reply to: amalgamate


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Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)
I seems like you've got zero glide going on there. . .but that may be a function of speed. Seems like a lot of kicking to help keep your back side up but again, that may be the function of speed and lack of glide. But all in all, it's decent. Time to work on speed.
2015-07-30 9:11 PM
in reply to: 0


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Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)
- You’re flexing your knee too much during the kick, kick from the hip, point the toes

- Stroke rate is too low – 60/min, try getting a wetronome and playing around with stroke rate

- Body position is poor, legs are dragging there are about 3 or 4 things that can fix this. Don’t hold your breath, head down, lengthen your body, point your toes, kick from your hip etc etc

- It looks like you’re holding your breath and not breathing out underwater

- could do with a little more reach, not too much though

- possibly slight cross-over?

- Your head is coming too far out the water when you breathe. One goggle should remain in the water. If you rotate your body sufficiently, you should find that you only have to turn your head very slightly to breathe.

- I can’t quite see, but when your arms are underwater it looks like you kind of have a high elbow which is good, but looks like your catch and pull is poor. Your arms look as though they are slipping through the water, rather than catching the water. You should be using those large lat and back muscles. Rotate correctly and catch and pull correctly, you'll instantly feel it in these muscles.If you don't, you're probably not doing it right! Try doing the long dog and skulling drills to address this problem

Most of the important stuff happens underwater, get some underwater footage. Your main problems are body position and ineffective catch and pull. Work on those.


Edited by zedzded 2015-07-30 9:14 PM
2015-07-30 9:15 PM
in reply to: ziggie204


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Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)
Originally posted by ziggie204

I seems like you've got zero glide going on there. . .but that may be a function of speed. Seems like a lot of kicking to help keep your back side up but again, that may be the function of speed and lack of glide. But all in all, it's decent. Time to work on speed.


You don't want any glide!


2015-07-31 8:24 AM
in reply to: amalgamate

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Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)
Thanks again everyone, this feedback has been good.
2015-07-31 8:48 AM
in reply to: amalgamate

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Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)

I'm not so much of a swimmer, so take that under consideration. Here's what jumps out at me:

* Right roll looks decent, though the head is high.

* Left roll needs help. Your arm entry starts with the shoulder and then the rest falls in like a tree.

* Hard to see what's going on with the right arm under water, but it looks like the left is dropping the elbow on the pull.

* Both arms... It looks like you're afraid to break the water surface. There's a hesitation with hand entry, like you're trying to be gentle on the water. Get the hands in there and reach!

* Kicking way too vigorously. Loads of wasted energy there.

2015-08-01 11:43 PM
in reply to: amalgamate

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Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)
1. Dropped elbows. Actually your entire arm collapses under the water robbing you of power.

2. Wide kick is caused by your left arm crossing midline.

3. Kick with a smaller knee bend, your kick is better than most here.

4. Overrotation when breathing on both side. Are you swimming or bird watching?


Lane 5:
1500m just under 17.20..

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uY1ruzHtsZM

  • .. fly

  • https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mdlUP4e4V_c

    2015-08-03 4:03 PM
    in reply to: 0

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    Tyler,
    Subject: RE: Please Critique my Swim (freestyle)

    You're turning your head to much to breathe and cross the mid line and looks like a lack of hip and shoulder rotation.   You are also kicking too much from the knee.   You're arm recovery is decent and show signs of great potential.   

     



    Edited by triritter 2015-08-03 4:05 PM
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