Comments on: What Is Your Most Pressing Question About Swimming? (Plus Freestyle Breathing Tip)

By: Kian

Kian — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 12:40:35 +0000

Hi Brent

My name is Kian and I’m 10 years old and I’m having problems on my breaststroke legs. My body is strong but my legs are weak. Can you please help me to know how to swim propper breaststroke.

Thanx Kian

By: Mary McGurin

Mary McGurin — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:48:02 +0000

How can I improve my butterfly kick. I am 10 years old and my 50mtrs pb is 39.9 and this is ok but I have trouble maintaining my strength after the first two lengths and my 200 fly pb is 3.40…how can I get two kicks in on every stroke?

Also, is there a swimming improvement DVD I can ask my parents to buy for my birthday?

Mary

By: Cecil

Cecil — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:13:37 +0000

I’m a life long swimmer with little flexibility in my ankles…so I kick minimally on freestyle. Question…should I continue with kicking drills which I use fins with? Is there any hope in my kick improving? I love backstroke as well and seem to have even better body position so I do kick a little more.
Any help??

By: swarve_man

swarve_man — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 03:35:02 +0000

@Frank – Long distance (over 200m) doesn’t use much leg propulsion, it’s only in sprinting where kick power is highly important. Shoulder rotation and your ‘catch’ are more important in anything over ’200m’.

Video on how to flip turn – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmxmKaYpAYc

@James – Great effort with your results. To improve your stamina in the 100m, breath control sets will help. An example set would be 8×50 on 2 mins where you don’t breath at all for the first 15-25m, and on your last 50m see how far you can go without breathing.

@Vince – Explosive swimming helps increase stroke rate and build up fast twitch fibers in the body. An example of an explosive set would be 6x15m sprinting with a stroke rate higher than you normally would in a race.

@ Stephen – Vertical kick will improve your kick – http://effortlessswimming.com/freestyle/swim-kick-technique/
Ankle, hamstring and lower back flexibility is important too.

How to stop choking on water – http://effortlessswimming.com/freestyle/breathing-in-freestyle-how-to-stop-choking-on-water/

By: Stephen Harris

Stephen Harris — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:09:11 +0000

I’ve studied the kick of good swimmers but it doesn’t seem to take. Mine’s very weak, although I’m in good shape and fairly strong. I’d love to improve it.

And, Bilateral breathing. Your diagrams and explanations are excellent, but I still tend to get water instead of air about 50% of the time on my left (unused) side.

By: vince

vince — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:22:16 +0000

hey brenton

what tips do you have to building and achieving a high and consistent stroke rate and what benchmarks do you set for younger swimmers say 9-14 years

By: James

James — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:48:34 +0000

Hi Brent,

I am 25 years old. Have been swimming now for 2 1/2 years and been competing for 2 years now. I competed in a 100 metre freestyle event and knocked 1 second off my P’B and achieved a time of 1.00.04. However i am struggling with my breathing patterns and wondered if you could help me out?. I find when i hit my third length i really feel as if im losing my stamina and when i hit my fourth length i am breathing every 2 strokes- do you have any drills i could try to control and improve my breathing and stamina?

Thanks Brent

Regards

JAMES O’BRIEN

By: Frank

Frank — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 11:37:08 +0000

Hello Brenton,
While using ‘free-stroke’ what % of forward motion comes from the kick and how much comes from the arms? I ask this because l’m beginning to realise that my kick is non-existent. How to correct this?
Now about turns,a really basic question,how to turn?
Thanks a lot. Frank

By: Josef

Josef — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:10:47 +0000

Hello Brenton.

this is the most important tips.
“As you go to breath again let all your air out quickly through your nose and mouth just before you take that next breath”
my question is: where should this last breathing out be ? under water or out of the water?

thank you sir in advance.

By: Jyothy muthukumar

Jyothy muthukumar — Sun, 23 May 2010 03:45:57 +0000

Hai Brenton,

I have a unique problem in my freestyle technique. I am not an advanced swimmer. When i swim i dont tread straight instead i go crosswards. My body also twitches sometimes and i am not able to have a freeflowing momentum. And how to use the arms like an ‘S’ while swimming(many say this)