Freestyle Stroke Lesson

Hey Team, I’ve got a pretty good Youtube video for you to watch if you want to see a good underwater view.

Here is is:

I don’t agree with everything he says but most of it is good. Everyone of us would be much faster if we could have a stroke like this guy.

This is a very long freestyle, mostly for triathletes, distance swimmers and open water swimming. The kick is very slow which would not be good for 50’s and 100’s. For us, we would kick faster.

A 1:10 in the 100 Meters is about a 1:02 in yards. So he is moving pretty fast.

Here are some things to notice during the video…

Dolphin Kick

1. As he dolphin kicks off the wall, look how he starts the kick from his ribs. The energy starts there and pulses down his body.
2. The up kick on the streamline is very pronounced. Again, it starts from the ribs and works it’s way through to the feet.
3. There is a whip at the end of the down kick and the up kick.

Streamline:

1. He’s got a good streamline.
2. Don’t get caught up in the 5 kicks. It’s highly variable.

Stroke:

1. The swimmer has a very good “high elbow”. Notice how he drops his arm, rotates slightly and then gets the elbow up high.
2. The shape of the hand and the direction of the hand is important. If you’re swimming slower than a 30 second 50 free you are doing this wrong.
3. The forearm is vertical throughout the stroke. If there was a front view you’d really see it. I have another video coming that shows it better.
4. Again, you can’t see it but his arms are entering wide…outside the shoulder.
5. Notice how far out in front his arm enters the water. It’s about even with the hand in front. He uses the body to extend the arm, not the arm.
6. There’s a proper amount of body roll. The body rotation allows you to
   a. Glide with less resistance
   b. Pull with your back and lats (stronger muscles
   c. Get the elbow up high
7. Notice the timing of the stroke. You can see one hand about to enter the water, while the other arm is “catching” the water.
8. Also, notice how he breathes, puts his face in the water and then pulls.

Turn

One last thing to notice is the turn. He pushes off on his back with a great streamline. He keeps his hands near his head so he can streamline quickly.

Let me know if you like this format to help you with your technique. See you soon!

Ron