Maura

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:12

You might be filling up your lungs with air too much, trying to maintain your head out of the water, but this might be making your legs sink a bit, try not having as much oxygen as possible on your lungs, you can try to have the oxygen on your stomach. 

You are pulling with your hands too loose, make sure you have them much more tense. You need to pull with your hand aligned to your forearm. 

When your arm/hand enters the water let it go a bit deeper keeping it straight, then you can start bending your elbow (you can see here that your elbow it’s pulling before your hands, it must be first your hands) so you pull the water backwards, it will help you grab more water and have a cleaner pull. 

You have a good stability, for a better kicks try to engage your core and bring your hips and legs closer to the surface. Your toes should touch the surface, this will help you have a more efficient stroke.  

0:12 – 0:26

Your arms should enter in line with your shoulders, right now you are crossing the middle line of your head. Keep your arms straight at all times when you are in the recovery phase. 

You need to rotate much more your shoulders, search to touch your cheek with your shoulder, and use your rotation on your favor, when your hand goes in rotate and pull, it will be easier for your stroke. 

Try to make your kicks smaller and remember to kick from hip to toe. Now you are moving only from your knees to your toes. 

0:26 – 0:55

Much better here your kick, try to let your legs straight. 

And remember to keep your arms straight on the recovery (when your arms are on the air). 

Take advantage of your stability on the water, and exaggerate your shoulder rotation. 

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 work slowly 2 times a week on your ankle flexibility, here is a video that can help you link 
• Your dolphin kicks are too wide, try doing them smaller and faster, do more dolphin kicks, you have a strong kick take advantage of it, start to come up slowly do not rush to come up. 

Backstroke examples:

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:16

When your arm goes in the water, try to glide more with your arms and do not drop your arm, when your hand enters the surface, rotate and glide it as much as you can to the front, right now you are gliding diagonal down and front. 

Don’t forget you need to finish your pull all the way back, you can search to touch the side of your leg, do not bring it out before.

Do not bend your wrist to pull, open your elbow and pull with your hand in line with your forearm. Separate your fingers just a bit, that will help you to have a better and stronger pull. 

When kicking and to bring your leg up have it straight activating your glutes and lower back. 

0:17 – 0:32

You have a good recovery, just remember to finish your strokes back. 

Sometimes your elbow breaks the surface first, the hand should enter first then the arm follows. 

Remember, that you can glide a little longer, make sure that when your arms enters the water you fully stretch your arms to the front before starting the pull.

Try to elevate the frequency of your kick, this will help you to rotate more. 

0:32 – 1:04

Much better the frequency of your kick, now search to bring your toes to the surface, you can try to sometimes take out the water. 

Exaggerate the elevation of your elbow before you start the pull. 

Try to extend your stroke further into the water on the recovery. 

Areas to work on, in general:

• Work short distances keeping the best possible technique, as you improve, increase the swimming distances without changing your technique.
• You might need to work on your shoulder mobility in order to achieve this. Mobility videos
• Work on one thing at the time. Focus on one thing, then once you correct it go to the next point. 

Free examples: