Sophie

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:10

Good position of your body close to the surface.

You’re pull to the sides to much and then backward, it is ok a bit of opening but not that much. You should focus on pulling more backward toward your feet. 

The second kick (when your arms finish pulling) must be more stronger, you should feel the difference from the first kick (when your arms are in front). Now you are applying almost the same force to both kicks.

0:10 – 0:15

You have a good turn. 

Just push deeper, and then you can start with the dolphin kick underwater. 

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.

0:15 – 0:19

Make sure that your arms should enter at the line of your shoulders, right know the arms are entering almost touching each other.

Sometimes you separate your toes on the kick. Keep your feet closer when you kick, big toes must be touching at all times. 

Areas to work on, in general:

• Keep practicing the dolphin movement, the movement comes from your hips and core. Not only of bending your knees. You can practice on your back, front and vertical kick. 
• Your butterfly is on a good path, work on one thing at the time, first focus on having both legs together at all times, then on bringing your chest and head deeper, and so on.

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:12

You could bend your elbow a bit more while pulling, so you pull the water backwards, Like grabbing and pulling from the lane line, it will help you grab more water and have a cleaner pull without many bubbles.

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

Your hips are a bit bend, try to stretch them more, bring them as close to the surface as possible. Keep your lower back strong.

0:12 – 0:18

On the turn, your arms should not follow your legs, leave the arms in front of you. So you can turn better.

Everytime you push of the all 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. Now you are doing your dolphin kicks to close to the surface. 

Push of the wall, then wait a little bit more then start the dolphin kick, if you kick right aways you will cut the speed of the push.

0:18 – 0:23

You’re rotating more hips with your hips than your shoulders, try to keep them a bit more steady. The shoulder rotation is the one that should be more noticeable.

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.
• 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 – 0:12

Throw your hands to the front not down, it depends in the event, if you are swimming distances longer than 100 breast, then you can throw your hands just a bit deeper to have a longer glide.

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.

You should keep your head aligned with your spine, and in each stroke, you need to put your head between your biceps. Right now, it’s slightly lifted.

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

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

0:12 – 0:18

When doing the turn you should bring one arm underwater and the other out of the water, the one that goes out, as soon as you touch the wall it comes out of the water.

Keep your legs and feet together when pushing off the wall, you’ll be more efficient when starting the pull. 

0:18 – 0:21

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.

A good drill is swimming breastroke with a pullbouy on your legs or a stretch band above your knees. 

Areas to work on, in general:

• Make sure to work on a stronger pull, to bring your body out into a better and stronger position for the recovery. 

Breast examples:

Time key frames:

0:00 – 0:19

0:19 – 0:25

On the turn keep your arms in line back to avoid any extra movements when turning. 

Just remember you push then you start rotating, you are trying to rotate into freestyle before you turn. Keep practicing the turns when you swim and it will get easier every time.

0:25 – 0:40

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

Here when your right arm goes in, it is supposed to glide horizontally not diagonal, make sure that when your arms enters the water you change the direction to the front not down.

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.

Areas to work on, in general:

• Be sure to practice sets like counting your strokes and reducing them so you start to have a stronger pull and grab more water.
• Work short distances keeping the best possible technique, as you improve, increase the swimming distances without changing your technique.

Free examples: