Swim drill confusion

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2008-10-03 4:39 PM

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Subject: Swim drill confusion

I did a swim drill workout today and the instruction is confusing to me.   I normally do side kick drills with the back of my head in the water and my face facing up to breathe.  Today I tried to follow the instructions (below) and keep my face in  the water, turning my head to breathe.  I kept getting water up my nose  and just couldn't do  it right. 

Can anyone help me understand what my position is supposed to be and why I might be having trouble with the breathing during these drills?  (I have no problem breathing when I swim).

These are the instructions for the kicking drills:

Comments and Definitions
Swim Golf = Add up your 50 yd/m time and the # of strokes for the 50 yd/m - for example: 50 seconds and 50 strokes for a 50 yard swim would give you a golf sore of 100

Right Side Kick:
How: Kick on your right side, with right shoulder pointed to the sky.
Head: Relaxed, underwater, look at the side of the pool. Advanced it to look at the bottom, but be sure to maintain vertical shoulders when on your side: shoulders perpendicular to bottom of the pool.
Arms: Left arm extended, right hand rests on left thigh.
Toes: Toes pointed, ankles relaxed. Keep width of kick within "tube" created by your body: relatively narrow.
Breath: Take a small sculling motion with right hand and roll head easily to breathe. Exhale slowly and smoothly.

Notes:
1. Keep shoulders perpendicular to pool bottom. "Point belly to the side of the pool." 2. Relatively narrow kick.
3. Smooth breath by rolling your head up to the sky.

Left Side Kick - just the opposite of above.

Six Kick Change - Start with Right Side Kick. 6 kicks, then pull and roll over to Left Side Kick. 6 kicks left side, roll, repeat.

If  it's 'right side kick' shouldn't my right side be down with right arm extended ?  How is my right shoulder pointed to the sky?
If it means my left side is down and my left arm is extended and my right hand is on my left thigh does that mean my right arm is in front of me?
I'm just not understanding the instruction.



Edited by cathyd 2008-10-03 4:39 PM

2008-10-03 5:23 PM
in reply to: #1716966

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Modesto, California
Subject: RE: Swim drill confusion
2008-10-03 6:09 PM
in reply to: #1716966

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Houston
Subject: RE: Swim drill confusion
It can be hard to do if you're not proficient in the water. Often times it feels like you won't be going fast enough to get your face completely out of the water to breathe. The best advice I can give is to focus on your buoyancy while doing the drill than rapidly kicking your feet for more momentum.
2008-10-03 6:22 PM
in reply to: #1716966

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Subject: RE: Swim drill confusion
I have the same drill in my workout today. As Nevergivin posted in the video, for right side kick, the left arm is on the thigh with right arm extended. I think they mixed up the left/right in the "Arms" section of the description.
2008-10-04 8:19 AM
in reply to: #1717073

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Subject: RE: Swim drill confusion

That's the one, and that's the position I've always used.  I guess the description in  my plan just has a little error when describing the arm placement.

I did the drill the same as the girl in the video but for some reason I drank a lot of water when I breathed... maybe I didn't turn my head enough.

2008-10-04 8:22 AM
in reply to: #1717221

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Subject: RE: Swim drill confusion

pengy - 2008-10-03 7:09 PM It can be hard to do if you're not proficient in the water. Often times it feels like you won't be going fast enough to get your face completely out of the water to breathe. The best advice I can give is to focus on your buoyancy while doing the drill than rapidly kicking your feet for more momentum.

that is the problem I was having... but I don't recall that it was a speed issue.... I will do this drill next time I swim and try to figure out what my problem is.

2008-10-04 8:24 AM
in reply to: #1717255

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Subject: RE: Swim drill confusion
ok, that is how I've always done it.  It was the 'right arm on left thigh' that was confusing me.
2008-10-04 3:12 PM
in reply to: #1717921

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Subject: RE: Swim drill confusion

I have a horrible kick,  sometimes I even go backwards.  So, when my coach was teaching me this drill he made me wear some really short flippers.  They helped considerably.  They gave me enough speed so the water line would dip below my mouth while keeping one eye under water.  That way I wouldn't have to lift my head to avoid swallowing a bunch of water.



Edited by ray6foot7 2008-10-04 3:15 PM
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