David

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:22

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.

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.

You are pushing the water down instead of backwards.

0:22 – 0:33

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.You are moving your knees up and down too much, yes is ok to bend the knee to kick up but you do not have to move it up and down too much.You want to bring your feet closer to the surface, the toes should touch the surface when you kick up.

0:33 – 1:09

Think about squeezing your core or flexing your abs while swimming backstroke, this will help keep your body flat.

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

Areas to work on, in general:

• You can go slowly first, you have to concentrate on your corrections and then start swimming with more speed and strong.
• You can also work slowly 2 times a week on your ankle flexibility, here is a video that can help you link  
• Work on keeping your kick up and near to the surface. You can make kicks without moving your arms and just feel the movement. 

Backstroke examples:

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:14

Try practicing your pullout everytime you push of the wall, you push a bit deep, stay a bit in a tight streamline, then when you start to lose speed, do a dolphin kick and then the pull all the way, then wait a bit to take advantage of the pull and then do a breast kick and a stroke to do the breakout.

Make sure when you do the breakout after the pullout you are close to the surface so you carry the speed from the turn to your swim.

0:14 – 0:25

Make sure you finish your pull all the way, when you finish the pull your elbows should be touching your body, bring them close to your body asap.

Use your pull to bring your upper body out of the surface, your hands should finish touching the surface, from there throw your hands/arms and chest to the front. 

0:25 – 0:31

You are doing your kick and your stroke almost 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).

When you’re gliding exaggerate your streamline. Keep your hands together when are in front. 

Open a bit more your stroke. Open your hands to the sides then you start to change the direction backwards and then bring them together. 

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. 

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, glide much as you can. 

Areas to work on, in general:

• You can do some exercise like swimming one stroke for two kicks, this will help you to feel your glide.
• Work on one thing at the time, start with the synchronization of your stroke, then move to the next point 🙂
• Make short distances trying to maintain the best technique possible. Like only kicks or only the arms (with pull).  This will help you to improve all your stroke.

Breast examples:

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:10

You must lower your head more when you are not breathing and when you breathe, rest your head on your shoulder opposite the side that you breathe.

The common mistake many swimmers make in freestyle is not leaving one arm in front for a longer time. Instead, they tend to move their arms in opposition to each other without giving enough time for recovery.

Make sure that when your arms enter the water you fully stretch your arms to the front before starting the pull. Right now you keep your elbow a bit bend.

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. 

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.

0:10 – 0:17

Good recovery, just try to get in your stroke to the water far from your head.

You are dropping your legs when you breath, try keeping a more constant kick so you can keep your legs closer to the surface.

Areas to work on, in general:

• Work on one thing at the time. Focus on correcting your glide, then once you correct it go to the next point.
• Work short distances keeping the best possible technique, as you improve, increase the swimming distances without changing your technique.
• Be sure to practice sets like counting your strokes and reducing them so you start to have a stronger pull and grab more water.
• Lots of improvement from the first day to the next ones, specially on your pull, you are pulling much better, also your kick you started to bring your toes closer to the surface. 

Free examples: