Swim stroke question - is a "cross-body" stroke ok?

Good comments. The x-body roll has gotta go! Now for the hard work....

 I'm doing the Total Immersion method, which says to "roll as far as the air is" rather than turning the neck. I end up completely on my side, and possibly even more so, even as far as partially on my back. Perhaps I need to start to reduce the amount of rotation on this breathing roll?

Rick, care to elaborate?  On the drill, that is...

Crossing the center line will have you zig zag down the pool.  On your breath stroke, you can compensate for starting your stroke out a bit farther.  One of my favorite swimming DVDs teaches this:

http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/swimshop/shop_detail.asp?iPid=1514&iCatId=3

sparco - 2008-09-26 11:22 AM Rick, care to elaborate?  On the drill, that is...

One arm extended holding onto a kick board, other arm does one handed pull just like you would normally do, rotating your body and all that.

If your paddling arm slaps the kickboard, you are crossing the center line!

I will do 100 yards with each arm this way as part of my drill sessions.  I usually use a paddle for it, and will sometimes throw on some zoomers (fins) to help keep myself balanced in the water better.

This will give you instant feedback as to whether or not you are crossing the center.

The other one she had me do that I do not do as much is the "monkey swim" where you swim with your head up and try to get your elbows up on the recovery.  Since you are not rolling your body, it is almost physically impossible to do this sort of swim crossing your center.  It really gives you a wide arm spread out near your shoulders.  She'd have me do this 1/2 a length and then transition it right into a normal free stroke.  You'd be amazed how this keeps your arms wide and out of the center line!

Thanks Rick.

Have you ever tried this without the kick board, just keeping the one arm extended and rolling to breathe after the pull?  Kind of like the 'catchup' drill, except the lead arm never goes into a pull...

I guess the 'catchup' drill would do a similar thing as far as keeping you from crossing the centerline. 

Catchup drill: Swim the crawl.  Keep lead arm out in front and DO NOT START PULL until the other hand finishes pull, enters water and is 'even' with the lead hand.