I’ve been swimming for about 18 months, but I’ve been stuck at a pace of around 2:00/100m (average pace over 800m) for almost a year. Maybe I’m 5 seconds faster on a good day, but overall, not much has changed.
I recently watched myself swim and was surprised to see how much I’m burying my head in the water. I’d really appreciate any advice or suggestions you might have to help me improve.
It looks like you’re not pulling back effectively; instead, you’re pushing down and pulling up at the end of your stroke. This causes you to see-saw around your center of mass, causing your head to sink. A dropped elbow is contributing to this, so focus on getting a higher elbow position during the catch and maintaining an early vertical forearm, pulling back towards your feet throughout the stroke.
Your body position is good, but lifting your head too much while breathing is also making you sink. Try to keep one goggle in the water while you breathe and keep looking down.
All these adjustments should enhance your efficiency. Tighten your kick coordination with your stroke and try to rotate less; over-rotation drops your shoulders and throws you off balance. Aim for a smooth rocking motion instead of rolling.
After implementing these changes, gradually increase your stroke rate. You look strong enough to pull harder, and with these tweaks, you could drop 10-20 seconds.
@Harlow
I plan to focus on catch-up drills and breathing with one goggle in the next couple of weeks. I’m unsure how to inhale without swallowing water in that position!
Zoren said: @Harlow
I plan to focus on catch-up drills and breathing with one goggle in the next couple of weeks. I’m unsure how to inhale without swallowing water in that position!
If swallowing water is an issue, rotate your head sideways a bit more so your mouth is just above the water. ROTATE, don’t lift your head. Looking forward causes your legs to sink. The high elbow catch will greatly help your thrust.
Your left arm looks fine, but the right arm drops significantly, causing your head to dip! Try extending your right arm more during the reach and maintain it closer to the surface in the glide phase. Avoid over-rotating on your right side.
Consider bilateral breathing as your stroke seems unbalanced now. You can really see the over-rotation on the way back, and during your breath, you’re lifting both goggles out of the water, which likely contributes to excessive rotation. There are many great videos showing the proper breathing technique that are easy to follow!
@Kaius
I thought my left arm was dropping while I breathed to the right. Now I see that my right arm is the issue. I definitely need to focus on catch-up and breathing. Thank you!
You’re lifting your head too high; you might be looking too far forward. This causes your lower body to be pushed down, increasing drag in the water.
Work on maintaining a high elbow position (it’s about the arm shape in the water). Focus on pushing the water behind you instead of bringing your arm down. Your fingertips should enter first, followed by your wrist and elbow in succession, while keeping your wrists high to avoid losing your catch.
You likely have a bit of over-rotation as well.
Your kick looks good, but maybe aim for a slightly bigger leg stroke, though avoid compromising your form.
You’re letting your fingers lift up, like saying ‘stop’ to the water. You need that early vertical forearm. Practicing with paddles could help set up your catch and make the transition to the pull smoother.
Your form is good enough to swim faster. At some point, you just need to push harder. It might be uncomfortable, but you won’t improve without it. It’s nearly impossible to maintain perfect form at a slow pace, so don’t worry too much about form until you’re swimming faster.
@Montana
When I push myself, my body position improves too. I’ve realized that my catch could be better since my fingers go upwards. But seeing my head looked insane to me. Thanks for the encouragement; I’ll try to push harder!
@Ori
Do you do any sprint drills like 50/100m? If not, you should! Swimming at a constant pace won’t make you faster, but it helps hold that pace. I saw improvements when I started incorporating more sprints.
@Montana
I usually do; my best 100m time is about 1:40-1:45. It’s not sustainable for me, but it helps my average speed. I feel that there are still some technical aspects to improve.