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#11
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![]() One suggestion not yet made is to use the Nodding drill - Lesson 6 of Easy Freestyle DVD - to imprint the patient leading hand.
In this drill, you practice a not-quite breath on several cycles before taking an actual one. Rotate and move your head in the direction of a breath but without clearing your mouth above the surface. In fact rotate far enough to peek just over the surface with your leading eye. You'll find that because you've relieved yourself of the need to get air you can turn your attention elsewhere. In this instance to keeping the leading elbow forward, high and outside, and a relaxed hand hanging with fingers down. Feel a lightness there. Feel it be still for a moment - until your gaze begins to return to the bottom. When you do take the breath be observant about what changes. Keep practicing until nothing changes.
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Terry Laughlin Head Coach & Chief Executive Optimist May your laps be as happy as mine. My TI Story |
#12
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![]() The head shouldn't follow the body, or lead the body- it should be part of the body. In skating, the body takes the head to air, and when people take the shortcut of just lifting the head, they wonder why it seems to sink them,
When first developing in drills, the head rolls with the body from sweet spot, but later on, the position it is in facing down in the skate after each stroke IS the breathing position- it doesn't turn on its own but hold form with the body during rotation. It does turn down early after so as to not hinder the roll back to the next skate.
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Dave Cameron Total Immersion Master Coach Head Coach- Minneapolis YWCA Otters and Masters and MN Tri Masters www.ywcampls.org/ti www.ywcampls.org/otters www.distancedave.com |
#13
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![]() Quote:
If your left arm goes down it is quite likely that it is compensating imbalance, not the other way round. So you might be simply over-rotating when you spear your left arm, arm too low e.g.. And the right elbow is too high on recovery because you are over-rotated already and it adds even more to over-rotation, forcing the left arm to compensate even more. If you are over-rotating usually your legs do a scissors like movement, the lower leg goes back to prevent from over-rotating even more and the upper one counteracts to the lower one in going forward. So in your case your left leg could be moving backwards when the left arm is down, is that the case? Maybe try to rotate very little when the left arm spears, 45 degree at the most, and see what happens. I am right handed too, and I have great differences on my right and left side. But the effect is different: I somehow don't 'trust' that my left arm can catch properly and so I use it somehow hesitantly and the effect is that if I stroke (=catch) with the left arm the propulsion is less as if I do it with the right. The spearing arms do not really have a difference with me, but spearing is actually not so much related to muscle strength. The whole TI-like stroke is actually not so much depending on muscle strength that a difference in the strength will be so obvious, I think. And sometimes having less muscle power is an advantage because it forces you into a efficient technique, otherwise you cannot sustain it. |
#14
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![]() haschu33, thank you for your input. It is possible. I am open to all possible causes as it is my priority to solve this problem. Next time I swim I will pay attention to what you said and report back.
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#15
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#16
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![]() Thanks to all who responded.
Video was taken today and perception does not match reality. OUCH My breath strokes are actually much worse than I thought. The reponses have been great. Putting the tape and responses together several focal points become clear. 1. I am seeing air before breathing 2. Breathing is not being initiated from core rotation 3. Spearing hand is digging too deep on breath cycles 4. Legs do a tremendous scissors kick either side and lower body moves way out of streamline. 5. Way over rotated to point of shoulders being almost 90 degrees 6. Am not keep a patient spearing hand 7. I noticed there is a tremendous right side/left side muscle difference. Most likely proves not swimming from core. 8. My kick is still much a runners kick and very much so of breath cycles. The good piece to this puzzle is my nonbreath cycle strokes show some semblence of a TI stroke. Back to the pool Monday with focus nodding, patient hand, head core alingment and rotation. Does this sound right. Any other suggestions. In closing I would like to edit the video down and post on this site if possible for feedback. Being a neandrathal of tech help. What is the procedure or best way? Thanks and Happy Trails To You Westy Last edited by westyswoods : 11-08-2009 at 11:29 AM. Reason: Inadvertant quick post |
#17
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![]() Some time ago I asked if handedness had any affect on the favoured breathing side. The answer was there was little to no evidence of this.
However, I feel there may be some emerging evidence as seen through this thread. I'm strongly right handed and breathing to the right requires greater effort. On breathing to the right, I likely have over-rotated, since I know it is more difficult for me to get air to that side and I want to be sure my mouth is clear of the water. This likely adds to a poor balanced state which I try to compensate for by a pull with the left arm which as many have said crosses the centre line beneath me. A survival instinct perhaps. What has helped is really focusing on making sure I keep the left arm outstretched after the spear. This I think keeps me in better posture and balance. I have to keep this in mind whereas I seem to have no problem in this area with keeping the right arm out stretched --- and breathing to the left is much easier and smoother without much thought. So ... it is all part of the learning curve.
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If you're not swimming; then you should be skiing...... |
#18
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![]() Quote:
That assumes though that you took the video with a digital camera and have the video file on your computer. To edit it down, it will depend which operating system your computer is, i.e. Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac, etc. |
#19
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![]() Mike,
Hypothetically I can see why there should be little effect from handedness. I can see where this is valid when one can swim the TI way. Step back and think of someone who has swam for decades with no concept of propulsion from core with arms being used for the main movement through pulling. Unwinding the muscle memory and has to play a major role in learning to swim the TI way. The disparate strength R vs L has to factor in. Flexibility and coordination are two which will go hand in hand with this issue. The knee bone connected to the shin bone, shin bone connected to the ankle bone.... Thanks for the suggestions. Have a great day Westy |
#20
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![]() Quote:
I agree with you. It (core driven swimming) is a concept which is sometimes difficult to grasp - especially for the beginner - for this beginner anyway. Natural instincts always want to take over. I'm 56 and first started learning to swim three years ago through a recreation department beginner's lesson set. (Not the way to go - at least for me!) I had and have no pre-conceived techniques or methods regrading swimming. So I'm fighting instincts learned over a number of years. Also, not being able to get a consistent or frequent practice time table established makes the learning take longer. It is a "mind over matter" mindset we have to adopt at times, it seems. I'm sure that if I hadn't found Total Immersion (through Terry's book at the local library), I would have given up swimming after the first few lessons. And as you say, there are a lot of very helpful people here. They are all experiencing the joy of sharing knowledge. Mike
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If you're not swimming; then you should be skiing...... |
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