How do you get your hips around?

[CoachKris]

switch + zen switch both with two pauses full concentration on bottom leg kicking when arm spears on target, then focus on hip drive again two pauses, best find ti coach in your area and they will be able to help you with manual assist if drills on they own fail

[DesertDog]

the main schools of thought for hip drive initiation seem to be

1) the kick
or
2) the recovery arm spearing the water

which is more efficient? which one should i strive for?

[borate]

Originally Posted by DesertDog

the main schools of thought for hip drive initiation seem to be
1) the kick
or
2) the recovery arm spearing the water...
Which one should I strive for?

Strive for fluid movement. Visualize this scenario...

Your right, recovering hand has just entered the water.
At virtually the same time...

* the left foot kicks downwards. This will torque the core, driving the right hip downwards as well.
* the right arms spears to its fullest extension, and the body is streamlined.

Muscles from toe to fingertips are in play. The precise timing of the movement may vary slightly from swimmer to swimmer and with speed.

Concentrate on one focal point for a few laps - the hip drive, for instance - then shift to another. Whatever helps. Eventually, the parts will become one.

Study this at about 1:08.
Notice how the kick drives the spearing arm into full stretch...and the whole body rotates (weight-shifts) in the process.
The slow-mo underwater shots are useful as well, but keep in mind that those movements are somewhat disjointed for the purpose of demonstration.

[Fran Lehen]

When I am gliding on my right side (my right leg is the bottom leg), I find that it does not do as good a job as my left leg does to start the rotation. Any suggestions as to how to discover which muscles need strengthening and any drills to correct this inbalance?

Fran Lehen

[tab]

While in the pool today I noticed my Latissimus Dorsi muscles being activated. Not out of whack sore but I know I had used them. A good feeling. I suspect they are part of the "toe to fingertip" muscles used to activate the core body roll when using the 2 beat kick, I am sure there are more tucked in and about. I am by no means a specialist in this area, I had to fetch my daughters muscular system coloring book to find which muscle I had used.

I have favorite sides, things happen easier on one side than the other, breathing, rolling, strokes, perhaps that is why I find breaststroke the first stroke I learned. It is balanced at once, at least side to side. I am using it as a spring board to push me toward the other strokes. It has a lot of good basics attached to it. I try to focus on my weak side to improve it, I will find what feels right on the better side and play around until I find that same feeling on the not so good side. It takes a lot of patience, no need to be in a hurry.

Not sure this helps, but I saw the word muscles and had to relate my experience of the day.

[Fran Lehen]

Tab,

Thanks for your reply re imbalance in muscles. l am doing what you said you were doing (observing what works well on comfortable side and trying to reproduce it on weak side). Started to feel an "out of whack" feeling on inside of knee and ankle of less functioning side. I don't know whether this is a good sign or a warning sign.

I'm sure that imbalance in muscles is common and I was looking for advice from the senior people and coaches who probably have seen this many times and come up with an analysis of which muscles perform the work in that bottom leg and what they would suggest to correct.

As I read my last paragraph, please don't think I'm not grateful to hear about your experience.

Fran

[tab]

Fran, I think I may just be the least experienced person here. No ungratefulness taken. I am curious what may show up as well.

[DesertDog]

Originally Posted by Fran Lehen

When I am gliding on my right side (my right leg is the bottom leg), I find that it does not do as good a job as my left leg does to start the rotation. Any suggestions as to how to discover which muscles need strengthening and any drills to correct this inbalance?

Fran Lehen

That's interesting. I have the same problem. I always blame it on a tight right hip, but I don't really know. The best I can do is compare the left and right hoping I can make the right feel more like the left.

[Fran Lehen]

Originally Posted by DesertDog

That's interesting. I have the same problem. I always blame it on a tight right hip, but I don't really know. The best I can do is compare the left and right hoping I can make the right feel more like the left.

And I feel as if my right leg is not "as educated as my left leg" which may be translated into "being not as strong as my left leg." It's my left hip that's tighter than my right and I rely on my left leg more.

I explained all this to my chiropractor and he is going to work on my right leg this afternoon....I'll see......

Fran

[RadSwim]

Something that I have observed in some swimmers learning a 2-beat kick.

Using Fran's example, the swimmer may have a productive single left kick when left-side-down. However, when right-side-down the kick is a quick left-right sequence, which is less productive.

Stated another way, the swimmer always kicks left foot first, even when intending to kick only with the right.

My kick had this dysfunction early on, and I have pointed this error out to 3 swimming buddies...perhaps it is a fairly common error.

Have someone watch you kick to see if you do this...or watch yourself on video.

Good luck,
RadSwim