Sensational Freestyle June 2010 - Homestudy #3

Course Details: 
Sensational Freestyle YWCA 4-week Program June 2010
Date: 
Jun 25 2010 - 8:00pm - 8:30pm
Location: 
YWCA Vancouver
Coach: 
pete

Third Week - Home Study

This week we have worked on refining the fundamentals that support easy breathing.

  • Glide
  • Single Switch
  • Single Switch with breathing (pauses between both)
  • Repeated rhythmic switches decreasing pauses (no breathing)

Again, this week's homestudy will be as simple as possible, the kind of general practice we recommend as you work on developing more body awareness and comfort in the water with these new skills.

At this stage, we see that it is the fundamentals that still matter the most, even as we develop some of the last components that bring in full breathing with your stroke. We emphasize to still practice glide position and the arm recovery as these two can do the most for putting you off balance and preventing you from getting to air easily. What is the most important thing to maintain? That's right... glide posture!! Now with the inclusion of breathing with your switch, return to emphasis on glide posture maintained throughout the breath.

The more you practice the drills each time you go to the pool and really focus on making your weaknesses your strength, you will find this swimming stuff easier and more fun.

What to Practice Dry Land

Practice the following:

  • Full recovery and switches (one at a time): see notes from this week
  • Body rotations and breath timing: see notes from this week

What to Practice in the Pool

Spend 15 minutes on each drill, still with mini-laps. If you want to practice with 25m lengths, always pause in glide to breath as much as you need to in order to be relaxed and focused. Please don't rush this and you will discover the payoff very soon.

1. Glide position and breathing skills: (start with fins, then without fins).

2. Stroke mechanics: (with fins for 10-15 minutes, then the same without, or switch back and forth more often for a different discovery process). Focus especially on recoveries, forward momentum, and always returning to glide.

3. Fluid switches (3-5) without breathing

4. Fluid strokes with a breath (synchronized head turn for breath - see notes from Thursday).

Review the session notes from this week to refresh your mind of the various focus points for each of the postures/motions.