Micha

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:15

You need to grab and pull the water strong every time, from when you start the pull to the end of the stroke your should accelerate your pulling. It will easier to bring your head and arms out of the water for the recovery.

Make sure to do this some freestyle swimming with paddles, to get a stronger pull also do this drill: freestyle with fists

Do not put bring your arms too deep when you have them in front of you, that is making your arms go down, keep them closer to the surface, your head and chest does go deep.

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

Good hip movement!

0:15 – 0:28

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.

Start the pull before, your pull should finish at the same time that your second kick.You are gliding too long.

You are separating your legs when kicking. Try to keep your feet together, big toes must be touching at all times. This will help you have a stronger and more continuous kick. 

Areas to work on, in general:

• Work on the strength out of the water with dryland training.

• We have some dryland and flex exercises for your swimming, you can go to our app/library/dryland/mobility & flexibilty. You can download it here https://skillswimming.com/swimming-app/

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:13

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 loose, make sure you have them just a bit separated and a bit more tense. 

Think about squeezing your core while swimming backstroke, and stretching your hips to the surface, this will help keep your body flat and high.

When your leg is going down keep it straight.

You want to bring your feet closer to the surface, the toes should touch the surface when you kick up.

0:13 – 0:19

When you do the flip turn turn your hands to do a curl with your arms so it helps you turn better and land better.

Make sure to push off closer to the wall, use your dolphin kicks to bring you closer to the surface for the first stroke.

Make sure to have a tight streamline everytime you push off the wall. Push, then wait a little bit more, and finally start the dolphin kick to bring you closer to the surface for the first stroke. 

0:19 – 0:26

Use your shoulder rotation on your favor, when your hand goes in rotate and pull, it will be easier for your shoulders.

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

Your hips are a bit bend, try to stretch them more, remember to bring them as close to the surface as possible. 

Here you can see better how your toes are sinking, you must touch the surface all the times. 

Areas to work on, in general:

• Work on keeping your kick up and close to the surface, putting attention on making a small kick. You can make kicks without moving your arms and just feel the movement.
• Practice your underwater dolphin kicks, do them strong from your core all the way to the feet. 

Backstroke examples:

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:15

First of all you need to work on your kick.

You must make 2 movements, you open your legs then in one circular movement you bring them together. When you kick change your feet to dorsiflexion position, and when finishing your kick, extend your legs and point your toes as much as you can. 

Work on your breaststroke kick, here is a good video on learning how to do the kick outside the water: Breast kick video

Then work on your synchronization. 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)

Your head moves a lot up and down, try keeping it in a middle steady position. This helps you align your entire body.

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.

Good movement of your hips! 

0:15 – 0:26

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.

One of the most important things in your breaststroke is that you learn how to glide, remember that gliding makes your stroke more efficient and faster, you need to stretch and tighten your arms to the front. 

Areas to work on, in general:

• Remember that we have some drills that can help you with your stroke, app/library/dryland/mobility & flexibilty.  https://skillswimming.com/swimming-app/ 
• Work on keep all your stroke close to the surface. It will be better for the position of you body.
• Remember to keep your head neutral, it comes up to breath then you take it down diagonally to the front and down.

Breast examples:

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:08

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, and you finish your glide, bend your elbow to start the pull. 

You can glide longer, make sure that when your arms enters the water you keep your stretched you arm on the front for a longer time, while the other arm is pulling and doing the recovery. 

Good kick, just make sure that your toes are touching the surface all the times. 

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.

0:08 – 0:13

When you turn, rotate your hands and use your arms to do a curl so you can flip better and have a better position to get into a streamline faster.

Before you start the turn, keep your legs together. This way you’ll be able to have a better position with your feet on the wall and you will improve on your push. 

Make sure to have a tight streamline every time  you push off the wall. And try to make one or two underwater kicks more, you want to take advantage of the turns and starts.

0:13 – 0:37

On the recovery, your right arm is crossing a bit the middle line of your body/head, try keeping it in the same line as your shoulders.

You are taking your head out too much to breath, remember it should only come out half of the face.

Focus on is bringing your kick closer to the surface and focus on having your legs straight when going up, activating your glutes, hamstrings and lower back. You want your toes to touch the surface every kick.

Work on the rotation of your shoulders it will help you with your glide. 

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

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.
• Overall your freestyle is good. Be sure to practice sets like counting your strokes and reducing them so you start to have a stronger pull and grab more water.
• Remember to move more your hips when doing butterfly underwater kick.

Free examples: