one arm freestyle drill from TI dvd

[trichos]

Doing this drill feels so different from my 2bk whole stroke. Initially, kicking defaults to a 4 and 6 beat flutter, it's just easier to balance that way than doing a 2 beat. The other day my legs decided to cooperate with 2bk and suddenly I fell into a strange zone: "swimming downhill, lengthening your vessel, maintaining head/neck/spine alignment, toe flick, ...", I get it now(I think). It also is helping me fix right side breathing. Re: the cascading cluster of tiny bubbles off the toe, es bueno o no bueno?

[CoachIngridMiller]

It sounds like things are going well. I think the single arm freestyle is the single most effective drill because it teaches many things at once and you don't really have to think about it for it to work. If you do it wrong you aren't able to do it at all.

When I first suggest it to my students, they look at me like I am nuts - they doubt they can do it but then when they try, they struggle for a moment or two then the magic happens. Without much direction at all they figure out how to use the legs to aid rotation, how to time the spear and body roll, how to breathe on both sides and on it goes.

Congratulations Trichos-- es MUY Bueno.

.....I don't quite follow the reference to tiny bubbles though.....

[CharlesCouturier]

The brain loves this opportunity to focus on one arm only. Early in the learning process, this means focusing on one entire side of the body. It makes sense.

The feel for water increases a bit too, as there's a bigger need for accelerating the body (as it decelerates much more than with the full stroke), single arm drill just makes a lot of sense, and to me, all variations are worth, depending on the level, and the path that one is following.

Single arm drill remains the biggest entry point to Freestyle when teaching to adults I believe. It's used systematically as part of a progression leading to full stroke. In several organisations, adults don't attempt the full stroke before at least trying single arm.

[trichos]

Originally Posted by CoachIngridMiller

If you do it wrong you aren't able to do it at all.

Thanks Coach. I wish that were true of all drills! With dedicated practice, I hope to reach your level of precision and timing, perhaps in another year or 2? or 3?

Originally Posted by CoachIngridMiller

.....I don't quite follow the reference to tiny bubbles though.....

When a kick is initiated with a toe at the surface, there is this pretty line of tiny bubbles trailing it ending in a little puffy cloud. I notice Terry doing it on occasion on the dvd when going fast and predominantly with the right foot.

Originally Posted by CharlesCouturier

The feel for water increases a bit too, as there's a bigger need for accelerating the body (as it decelerates much more than with the full stroke), single arm drill just makes a lot of sense, and to me, all variations are worth, depending on the level, and the path that one is following.

Single arm drill remains the biggest entry point to Freestyle when teaching to adults I believe. It's used systematically as part of a progression leading to full stroke. In several organisations, adults don't attempt the full stroke before at least trying single arm.

Hey C, as always, good sound advice from you.

Before TI: Two laps and out of breath, and back to breast stroke. All I had wanted from this was to be able to swim continuously with ease. Cardio is not an issue out of the water.

During TI: Swimming continuously for 30 min. now is no problema, but curiously, I seemed to have lost my breast stroke.

[CharlesCouturier]

Originally Posted by trichos

I seemed to have lost my breast stroke.

Yeah, the more we learn the less we know sometimes...

[craig.arnold@gmail.com]

I am a generalist at work, roving troubleshooter (or perhaps troublemaker), but the difficulty with being a generalist is that I know less and less about more and more. Well you can extrapolate the endpoint of that...

A trend I am resisting for the sake of my sanity with regards to swimming. :)

[aquarius]

What does the other hand do in the TI version of this drill? Is it extended, or does it scull slightly as in Charles' version?

Has the drill been youtubed?

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

Originally Posted by aquarius

What does the other hand do in the TI version of this drill? Is it extended, or does it scull slightly as in Charles' version?

Has the drill been youtubed?

The recovery arm/hand should remain molded to the front of your body, hand in pocket not on hip (and no sculling) -- make sure to be in good stable skate position, level, head/spine aligned, hip at surface before executing the one arm drill.

[aquarius]

Originally Posted by CoachStuartMcDougal

The recovery arm/hand should remain molded to the front of your body, hand in pocket not on hip (and no sculling) -- make sure to be in good stable skate position, level, head/spine aligned, hip at surface before executing the one arm drill.

Thank you, CoachStuartMcDougal. May I ask yet another question? Is this drill done with a 2BK, or with a flutter kick?

Thanks.

[jenson1a]

There is a coach on the east coast of Florida that has a website--he has some videos there of the 2 worse drills. One of them is this 1 arm drill. He says that one is better off doing the drill where you just drag your fingers on the top of the water while doing free style. He also says that it is too hard to do.

What are your thoughts?


Sherry

p.s this coach is a ti coach--Gary Fahey