Andi

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:10

First of all you need to work on your synchronization. In butterfly you do 2 kicks, one when you arms are in the front and the other when you finish the pull with your arms, the second kick (when your arms finish pulling) is the strong kick, the first one (when your arms enter the water is a smaller one). 

Raise your hips higher when your arms are in front and your head and chest are sunken. This way you will have a more fluid kick and stroke.

Your hands are pointing down towards the floor, change the direction of the hands to pull backwards, you want to move forward not up.

In the pull, you should start with your hand and forearm aligned. You’re pulling with your elbows too low, keep them high

In your pulls, keep your hands extended and firm; right now, they’re too bent. 

0:10 – 0:17

Here you can see better how your feet are separated. Keep your feet closer when you kick. Big toes must be touching at all times.

The knees should not be separated as much, there is an opening but it is not very width. You can use an elastic band under the knees to keep the legs a little closer together.

You’re moving your knees too much. The kick originates from the mobility of the hips, not just bending the knees. Let your butterfly kick makes the movement of your knees. 

Your hands are too close to each other, the arms should enter at the line of your shoulders, right know the arms are entering almost touching each other.

Areas to work on, in general:

• Work on your mobility, we have some dryland exercises for your shoulders and lower back, you can go to our app/library/dryland/mobility & flexibilty. You can download it here

• Remember to have a relax recovery. Make sure you do not rush your stroke.

• Keep practicing the dolphin movement, the movement comes from your hips and core. You can practice on your back, front and vertical kick. 

• When you synchronize your 2nd kick and your pull, the recovery will be much easier, since you will combine the strength of both you will have more time to do the recovery with both arms.

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:23

You are filling your lungs with air, trying to maintain your head out of the water, this is making your legs sink, try not having as much oxygen as possible on your lungs. You should distribute the air in your stomach and lungs.

You are pulling with your arm straight, the arm needs to be bend while pulling underwater like grabbing and pulling from the lane line.

You are pulling with your fingers too separated and your hands too loose, make sure you have them just a bit separated and much more tense. 

When your arm/hand enters the water let it go a bit deeper keeping it straight, then start bending your elbow so you pull the water backwards, it will help you grab more water and have a cleaner pull without many bubbles.

Your lower body is sinking a bit, engage your core and bring your hips and legs closer to the surface. This will help you have a more efficient stroke. Your toes should touch the surface.

0:28 – 0:34

Your arms should enter in line with your shoulders, right now you are crossing the middle line of your head.

Exaggerate your shoulder rotation on your favor, your shoulder must almost be touching your cheek and when your hand goes in rotate and pull, it will be easier for your shoulders. 

Sometimes you move your head to the sides; try to keep it in a single position aligned with your spine. 

When your leg is going down keep it straight. You want to bring your feet closer to the surface, remember that the toes should touch the surface when you kick up.

Do not do a pause with your arms when you finish the pull, when you end the pull bring it up right away, your arms should be like a windmill, opposite from one another all the time.

Areas to work on, in general:

• Work on one thing at the time, Focus one day on one thing, then the next day another point, do not try to correct it all at once.
  

• Work on your core strength outside the water, it will help you to be more efficient on your stroke when you swim. 

• You can work slowly 2 times a week on your ankle flexibility, here is a video that can help you link

Backstroke examples:

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:14

You are doing your kick and your stroke at the sametime, it should be your stroke first hands to the front then your kick, so when you begin throwing your hands to the front you should be starting your kick, and when you have them on the front you finish the kick (it will be the fastest part of your stroke).

Keep your head neutral, it comes up to breath then you take it down diagonally to the front and down. 

The pull make it shorter/smaller, your arms are pulling too far back. Your elbows should never cross the line of your shoulders, when you arms pass the line of your shoulder they should be already touching your body.

Keep the fingers closer together and much more tense, it will help you to have a better and strongest pull. Throw your hands strong to the front with speed, not just put them in front.

When you kick, exaggerate the change your feet to dorsiflexion position and extend your legs and point your toes as much as you can. 

0:14 – 0:26

The opening of your knees and the kick is too wide. Instead it should be 2 movements, you open your legs then in one circular movement you bring them together.

The knees do not separate too much from one another, there is a small opening but not to wide.

Take care of your right leg; you should position your foot in dorsiflexion. 

Take the momentum from your kick and use it to bring your hips up to the surface when you finish kicking, it will help you have a better body position In the water

Areas to work on, in general:

• Work on one thing at the time, start with the synchronization of your stroke, then move to the next point 🙂
• Make sure to work on a stronger pull and kick, at first it doesn’t matters if you go slow, but stronger. 
• Work with you breast kick, you can practice even outside of the water: Breast kick video
• The knees do not separate too much from one another, there is a small opening but not to wide. A good drill is swimming breastroke with a pullbouy on your legs or a stretch band above your knees. 

Breast examples:

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:14

You need to work on keeping your arms strong and aligned during the pull, they are too loose at the moment. 

You are pulling a too wide and slow, when your arm goes in and you finish your glide, bend your elbow so you can pull more under your body and not on the sides, accelerate the pull and do it strong.

Don’t forget you need to finish your pull all the way back, do not bring it out before.

When kicking and to bring your leg up have it straight activating your glutes and lower back, right now you are bending the knee to bring your feet up. You can practice this movement laying down on the floor or bed and just bringing your leg up straight.

0:14 – 0:31

When you push of the wall, make sure you push a bit deeper, then with the dolphin kicks you start to come closer to the surface.

You need to rotate a bit more, will help you to have a better extension on your stroke.

You are pushing the water down more than backwards, remember that you want to move forward and in order to move forward you have to pull the water towards your feet, this will increase the speed and will make you float more.

Do not bend your wrist to pull, open your elbow and pull with your hand in line with your forearm.

You are kind of bending your lower back, which make your hips to sink a bit, make sure to have the hips touching the surface at all times. 

Focus on is bringing your kick closer to the surface and focus on having your legs straighter when going up, you want your toes to touch the surface when you kick.

Areas to work on, in general:

• You are pulling with your elbow first, you need to “open your elbow to the side so it gets in the same line as your hand and you pull with your hand/forearm. You might need to work on your shoulder mobility in order to achieve this. Mobility videos 

• Work on your ankle flexibility, do dryland training these videos can help you: videos

• You can work on kick on your back, and having your toes touching the surface of the water at all times.

• Try keeping less oxygen on your lungs and push your chest down so your lower body comes higher.

Free examples: