What It Looks Like... Breathing to the Side in Butterfly

The following picture appeared on the front page of wwww.usaswimming.org this afternoon. It is Christine Magnuson, American record-holder in the 100 fly performing her signature event.

Magnuson demonstrates great technique utilizing a side-looking breath in butterfly. There are many swimmers that use this technique, but curiously, the forward breath persists in many butterflyers. I believe this is because many swimmers will not take the time to learn it and coaches will not take the time to teach it. If you can learn, it can be advantageous for several reasons:
1. Allows the swimmer to stay lower to the water on the breath, which means more of the swimmer's energy is directed to going forward.
2. Because of #1, the swimmer may be able to breathe more often without sacrificing speed.
3. Enables the swimmer to see the competition more effectively than with a forward breath. If the swimmer can breathe to both sides, this is an even more useful skill.

If you want to learn to breathe to the side in butterfly, here are a few pointers.
1. Work on your neck flexibility. In my opinion, this is the primary reason why swimmers who try side-breathing have difficulty - tightness in their neck prevents them from doing it correctly.
2. Be sure to keep your hips and shoulders on plane. By this I mean don't let your body roll to the side simply to get your side-breath.
3. Continue to do all the other technical elements of butterfly correctly. Strong kick, strong pull, good body dolphin, etc. The importance of these hasn't changed at all!

What it looks like... Proper Backstroke Arm Recovery

Proper form during the above-water portion of backstroke (known as the “recovery”) is crucial to developing efficient and powerful technique. The backstroke arm recovery occurs in three phases.

Phase 1: The Exit
Upon finishing the arm pull past the hip, the swimmer should lift the shoulder as the hip snaps up. The arm should follow the shoulder out of the water with the thumb side of the hand leading the way. Olympic Gold Medalist Kirsty Coventry demonstrates the thumb side lead below.














Phase 2: The Rotation
Once the arm is at least 45° out of the water (like the picture above) the swimmer should begin rotating the arm from the shoulder, keeping the elbow straight and the wrist relaxed. The swimmer’s palm thus moves from facing the midline of the body to facing outward. This happens while the arm continues its path of motion toward the water. Olympic Trials finalist and NCAC alum Tim Liebhold demonstrates what the arm should look like at the conclusion of Phase 2.




















Phase 3: The Entry
The final phase of the backstroke arm recovery is perhaps the most crucial — the entry. The hand should enter the water directly above or slightly to the outside of the shoulder with the pinkie first. A common mistake is to over-reach, letting the hand enter the water behind the head. Once the hand is in position, it should slice deep into the water without slowing, setting up for a strong arm pull. The picture below shows proper hand position an instant before a perfect hand entry.













For an efficient and powerful backstroke that is shoulder-safe, be sure to follow these tips for the arm recovery!

What it looks like... when you enter the water properly from a dive

When executed properly, a racing dive should take a swimmer through one “hole” in the water. Imagine yourself diving through a donut floating on the surface of the water. Watch this slow-motion example and watch the three stages of entry take place (the small circle represents where the swimmer will enter, and will not move.)

1. As the swimmer is about to enter the water, her hands are perfectly streamlined. Fingertips are touching the water in the center of the circle, the head is tucked between the arms, and the body is ready to “knife” into the water.
2. As the swimmer begins to enter the water to the shoulder, her head has entered the water in the same place as her hands, and she has lifted her legs to angle them toward the “hole”. Her momentum is carrying her entire body straight toward the circle.
3. The swimmers fingers, wrists, elbows, head, shoulders and hips have all entered the water in the same place, and her legs, ankles and feet follow into this same hole. Notice how her toes are pointed. This is the last thing you must do as your body enters the water. The smaller the splash, the better!

What it looks like... when you achieve your dreams

It is my absolute favorite moment at the swim meet. The swimmer has put years of his life, thousands of hours of pain and fatigue, and every bit of his hopes and dreams into this moment. He has trained with this moment in mind, doing everything he can to make this moment turn out the way he planned. When the swimmer touches the wall and turns to look at the clock, he sees an instant verdict . He has either succeeded or failed, won or lost. This moment alone defines the million other moments of preparation. And when it arrives, this moment is as pure as they come. The emotions burst forth in their true form. This is what it looks like...when you achieve your dreams.

What it looks like... when you use proper head position in breaststroke.

One of the most common technical errors swimmers make in breaststroke involves head position. Inefficient breaststrokers commonly lift and drop their head over and over with each and every stroke. Obviously, your head will rise and fall as your torso rises and falls through the stroke. What needs to stay constant is the angle at which you hold your head.

To keep your head at the correct angle, be sure that your eyes are always looking forward and down. Rebecca Soni, who won the Olympic Gold in the 200 breast in Beijing, demonstrates perfect head position in the photo shown here. Her eyes are focused on the water out in front of her hands, not on the wall at the other end of the pool.

Steady head position means steady body position. Steady body position means less drag and more speed!