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Video Analysis – November 2019
Hi Tim,
It was good to get this chance to check up on your stroke.
Timing of the Breathing Action
I read your comments about working on breathing, trying to turn earlier, return sooner.
One underwater video showed non-breathing strokes and the other showed some breathing strokes.
There is a relationship between several parts of the body, if converging they make breathing easier, if diverging make it more difficult (or feeling rushed).
The body line parallel to the surface is one feature that makes breathing easier. Having a lower rotation angle, or starting the catch with the torso at a lower angle is another helpful feature. Those are two features that have room for more improvement for you. I will discuss those below.
On the video with breathing strokes, I notice that the head is starting to turn when the catch arm is more than half way through the catch/hold phase – quite late. I see this as related to the high rotation angle of the torso. The high rotation angle is encouraged by the lack of a strong Counter-balanced foot position on that side of the body. The catch also, needs an improvement on the sequence of actions – gather with forearm, then rotate and pull. The catch will engage better if started at a lower rotation angle. All of these are intertwined.
The moment your lead hand starts curving to ‘touch the ball’ (the set of the catch), the head should be turning with the beginning movements of that hand, as if the fingers are pressing a button immediately triggering the head to turn. The turning intensity shouldn’t be ‘whiplash’ fast, but it should be slightly aggressive.
When the torso is at a lower rotation angle it can start its rotation more easily. When the torso is at a lower rotation angle, the catch arm is in closer alignment with the scapula plane and more ready to connect to the back muscles and form a smoother, more power catch as well.
You can see if this helps you adjust the perception of the timing of your turn toward air and the sense of not being so rushed to return before the recovery arm. Then, let’s work on these following features that would also contribute to making it easier to get to air and back in good time.
Stroke Review
Good Features
- Spine is straight and whole body aligned with it
- On L entry, the R shoulder stays stretched forward until switch moment
- Both sides, Recovery swing looks nicely shaped, smooth, fluid,
- Both sides, entry is clean, quiet
- L side, rotation angle is closer to the lower angle we are looking for
Continuing Improvement Opportunities
- Body line is angled downward
- L side, slight over-rotation
- R side, more over-rotation
- R leg is doing all the kicking
- Both sides, feet need to find and hold counter-balanced foot position
- L side, lead shoulder drops just a moment too soon, before R entry
- Both sides, forearm is not gathering enough at the set of the catch, elbow not staying up
- Both sides, catch arm is arcing downward, not linear toward year
Body Line Angle
Body line tilted downward.
We want to improve this by working on other features that make it possible. Those are explained below…
Foot Position and Rotation Angle
R side, over-rotation onto R streamline (especially seen in the hip angle)
R side foot is kicking on rotation into R streamline
R side, non-breathing strokes, head turns slightly, following the over-rotation a bit
L side streamline, L foot needs to find CBF, R foot held below .
Here is a video to explain that situation and solution.
Catch Shape and Path
R entry, the L shoulder drops just before switch moment, causing loss of elbow position on catch. Here is a video explaining that situation and solution.
Both sides, catch arm has more of a downward arcing path, rather than linear as if pulling on a ladder rung.
Both sides, catch needs two distinct parts: gather, then rotate
Both sides, catch path needs to be more linear, press that ball straight back under shoulder > hip > thigh, arm straightens out under the hip, forearm and hand go limp
Both sides, feel like you moved that hand from as far front as possible, gripping the ball, then pressing it back, under the body, the hand and shoulder sliding back as far as they can go. Reach – then exit the water.
Here is a video to explain that situation and solution, and video explanation for using drills on this.
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