Roman

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:10

When you breathe your head is coming out too much, remember that you should use the power of your arms to pull you forward not up, when you pull forward it will be enough for your head to come a bit outside and take a breath.

When you have your arms in the front put your head and chest deeper, but keep your arms up close to the surface, this movement is going to help you have a more fluent stroke and be able to move your hips more and have a stronger kick.

You are doing the first kick stronger than the second, the second kick is supposed to be the strong kick (when you are finishing the pull)

Your kick and your pull should finish at the same time, when you finish your pull and the 2nd kick. The first kick is when your arms are entering the water you do not have to bend your knees too much on this kick.

0:10 – 0:20 

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.

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

Have a good extension of the arms on the recover. 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.

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.

Areas to work on, in general:  

• Develop greater flexibility in the lower back and ankles to facilitate the support of the stroke and the kick. 
• Keep practicing the dolphin movement, the movement comes from your hips and core. You can practice on your back, front and vertical kick.
• Keep practicing the dolphin movement, the movement comes from your hips and core. You can practice on your back, front and vertical kick. 

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:12

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

You need to do the full movement of the pull do not rush it, let your arm go in straight, bend your elbow to pull and finish all the way to the end then bring the arm up, the more strokes doesn’t mean you will go faster on the contrary, you will go slower and get more tired.

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.

Slow down a bit your kick, and make sure your legs are higher closer to the surface, your toes should be breaking the surface. 

0:12 – 0:18

You have a good rotation, take advantage of that and relax a bit your strokes on the recovery.

You don’t need to kick that wide, make your kicks smaller, and do not move your knees up and down, your knees should not break out of the water, work on keeping them underwater. 

On the recovery try to align your hand with your forearm, this will help you to have a better pull underwater. 

Areas to work on, in general:

• Everytime you push of the wall practice doing it underwater, go down in the wall and push underwater then slowly start to come to the surface, it will make your swim smoother. Make sure to blow bubbles of your nose
• You can go slowly first, you have to concentrate on your corrections and then start swimming with more speed and strong.
• Give it time to each stroke, try to not rushing it. It will be better for accommodate all your swim. 

Backstroke examples:

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:10

Keep the fingers closer together and bit tense. 

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.

Throw your hands strong to the front with speed, not just put them in front.

0:10 – 0:19 

You are doing your kick and your stroke at the same time, 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 kick exaggerate the change of your feet to dorsiflexion position.

The opening of your knees and the kick is too wide. You are doing 3 movements you open the legs, then you extend them and then you bring them together, instead it should be 2 movements, you open your legs then in one circular movement you bring them together.

Here you can see how you keep looking in front instead to the floor, remember that your head dicts the stability of your body.

0:19 – 0:39

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.

Give it time to each stroke, be patience when you finish your kick, you must stay a bit there (in streamline) before you start the stroke. When finishing your kick, extend your legs and point your toes as much as you can. 

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 🙂
• You can do some exercise like swimming one stroke for two kicks, this will help you to feel your glide. 
• Work with you breast kick, you can practice even outside of the water: Breast kick video
• Remember that 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 on a stretch band above your knees. 

Breast examples:

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:10

You have a good stability of your body. 

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, do not bring it out before. You can try to touch the side of your leg with your hand. 

Be careful with the bending of your elbows, give time to each stroke and first elevate the elbow and then you can start with the pull. 

You have a good frequency of your kick, just try to keep your legs more stretched out. 

0:10 – 0:20 

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.

Remember to focus on keeping 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. 

You need to grab and pull the water strong every time, the more strokes doesn’t mean you will go faster on the contrary, you will go slower and get more tired. Try to not rush to much your stroke. 

Areas to work on, in general:

• Work short distances keeping the best possible technique, as you improve, increase the swimming distances and the velocity, 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: