Moment of Enlightenment in Swimming

I’ve been swimming with a Master’s team for about 5 months, feeling very frustrated with my lack of progress. Today, I finally felt fishlike and smooth in the water.

I’ve been having some pain in my right shoulder. I always think of pain (i.e., overuse injury) as a challenge to figure out what I am doing wrong. I figured my shoulder pain is because I have been trying very hard to keep my elbows high during the pull, and pulling really hard. But, I have not been getting the body roll right, and not using the power from my hips, so my stroke was “all arms” and that was putting a lot of stress on my shoulder.

I read some of my Total Immersion book to figure out what drill would help me get the body roll right, so my hips would be giving power to my arm stroke. I also went to the =http://www.totalimmersion.net]Total Immersion site and watched some of their sample videos (look for the Lo, Med, High links at the upper left of their site). The one called “Secrets of Freestyle” illustrates the underswitch drill, which really did the trick to help me get the hip roll right. I found it helpful to watch all the freestyle sample videos.

I’d recommend buying the TI DVD instead of the book. It’s really hard to understand these drills by just reading about them (that’s why I watched the sample videos on the website).

Here is a description of some of the Total Immersion Drills:

Skate: This drill teaches you to travel in the most efficient body position possible in the water.

Lie on your side with your left arm extended, your underarm pressed into the water and your head resting comfortably below the surface. Your right arm should be resting on your side. When you feel complete balance, swivel your head and look directly at the bottom, pause here long enough to be sure your body is completely balanced and your shoulders and hips are at 90 degrees to the bottom of the pool, then rotate your head back up for air.

UnderSwitch: This drill teaches you how to generate forward propulsion to your core body rotation, whilst traveling in your most efficient ?long? body position.

Go into your skating position, once balanced in your nose down position, sneak your right arm forward, rubbing it along your stomach, across your chest, keeping it close to your body. As soon as you see your right hand in front of your face, anchor your left hand (holing onto the water as if onto a rung of a ladder) and roll your body directly to your best balance spot on your right side. Remain balances, kick gently for at least 3 breaths before swiveling your head to the nose down position and repeating the sequence in the other direction. Once you are comfortable, you can add more switches, perhaps 2 or three before rotating back up for air.

ZipperSwitch: This drill teaches you to link your arm recovery with your core body rotation to maximize the momentum and forward propulsion generated from your core body rotation

Start in your Skating position, go nose down. Rather than sneaking your arm up under your body as in UnderSwitch, drag your hand slowly along your side (as if pulling up a zipper), with your hand underwater to the wrist. Lead with the elbow for as long as possible, until your hand is alongside your ear. Make sure your arm and hand are relaxed. As soon as your hand catches up to the elbow, slice it down and in as you switch and roll to Skating position on the other side. Relax and glide there for as long as you want (3 yoga breaths), then repeat in the other direction.

OverSwitch: This drill teaches you how to have a knife like, efficient hand entry whilst maximizing your body?s swimming rhythms

Start with one full length of ZipperSwitches. Make sure you’re recovering with a compact, relaxed ? almost lazy ? recovery. On the next length, raise your recovery hand so it barely clears the water (in practice you may wish to drag your finger nails in the water as a linking drill between Zipper Switches and Over Switches) and immediately re-enters. Your aim is to have your hand out of the water for the smallest amount of time, your hand should travel the shortest possible distance out of the water and be as close to the surface as possible, as if you were swimming under a very low ceiling.

During the drills, focus on:

1) rolling as one, with your hands and torso moving at exactly the same time. This enables you to use your core body rotation to generate forward propulsion, rather than relying on your arms and your kick.

2) Keeping your head hidden, with your eyes looking at the bottom of the pool throughout the entire switch.

3) sneak through the smallest possible hole in the water, moving through the water like an arrow.

4) A compact and unhurried recovery

5) An exaggeratedly early and steep hand entry.

6) Practice silently, taking all the time you need.