Hip drive/even stroke on both sides

[bikerbod]

I've been learning freestyle the TI way for a few months now having been a breast stroke only swimmer for many years. I find it easiest to breathe on my right and i have made good progress so far just rolling to breathe on one side. This seems to have resulted in a strong stroke on one side, but the other side lacks hip drive and that feeling of power. I cannot seem to develop that natural beat kick on the other side. However hard I try, I am finding it difficult to build hip drive into the other side of my stroke. I have noticed a little pain in my right shoulder which i think comes from trying to make up the lost power with my right arm. If i change breathing to the other side, my stroke falls to pieces.

What drills/technique can i use to make my stroke as powerful on both sides?

[GAIN]

I have had the same issue. I can tell you what I did if it helps. It you watch everyone in the pool they seem to pick up the shoulder and spear good with the right arm, then hardly bring the left shoulder up so the left hand spear does not have the power. With that said lift left shoulder as high as right shoulder to power the spear, if you have this correct, the rotation of your core will cause your hip to follow and with a small toe flick, extension and streamlining you will glide.
Your recovery arm motion will still be the same but you can then drift over the recovery arm instead of using shoulder power, then use the bigger arm muscles to complete the recovery stroke. The kick, spear, and pull have to be connected to feel the power.
I learned this by swimming with my hands clenched and propelling myself with just the core.

[bikerbod]

Thanks for the advice. I'll definately try clenching the hands to focus more on using just core strength. Great idea.

[terry]

Biker - Which side is it that you feel the hip doesn't contribute. Right or left?

[ames]

Originally Posted by bikerbod

... but the other side lacks hip drive and that feeling of power. I cannot seem to develop that natural beat kick on the other side. However hard I try, I am finding it difficult to build hip drive into the other side of my stroke.

I have the same issue. I have a hard time kicking with my right foot, even when I focus just on that. I think it is because I am right-handed and the motion of throwing (or spearing) with my right arm while stepping with my left is more natural than the opposite. Kicking with the right and spearing with the left is like trying to throw a baseball left-handed. Will try keeping my left shoulder higher, would like to hear other thoughts on this.
ames

[atreides]

Originally Posted by bikerbod

I've been learning freestyle the TI way for a few months now having been a breast stroke only swimmer for many years. I find it easiest to breathe on my right and i have made good progress so far just rolling to breathe on one side. This seems to have resulted in a strong stroke on one side, but the other side lacks hip drive and that feeling of power. I cannot seem to develop that natural beat kick on the other side. However hard I try, I am finding it difficult to build hip drive into the other side of my stroke. I have noticed a little pain in my right shoulder which i think comes from trying to make up the lost power with my right arm. If i change breathing to the other side, my stroke falls to pieces.

What drills/technique can i use to make my stroke as powerful on both sides?

I am attaching a link to some old TI drills that have helped me a great deal. I would suggest that you go through the all. But for the hip drive issue focus on the single switch drill and then the tripple switch. The single switch gets you rotating from sweet spot to sweet spot. I do the drills in fins which actually may work to my benefit because the switch effect (hip drive) is accentuated. Since you are doing switches to both sides, you should be able to work through your bias on one side. The other drills teach you how to engage your whole core- not just your hips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcZ1cTHRG7I

[flppr]

at some point (soon), you'll want to start working on left-side breathing. it will help you become more comfortable on that side and give your rt shldr some relief. my problem was rt-sided breathing, so i breathed exclusively to the rt side until it became comfortable, probably a month.

[bikerbod]

Originally Posted by terry

Biker - Which side is it that you feel the hip doesn't contribute. Right or left?

Hi Terry, My left hip isnt contributing. All the power seems to come from right hip and right shoulder. The other half of the cycle has little power. If I change breathing to the left side my streamlining and power all goes wrong.