Correcting Stroke Flaws in Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and ButterflyBY

STEVE HAUFLER

The Process of Stroke CorrectionThe swimmer needs:

◦ To have an understanding of the correct technique (videos, demonstrations, pictures)

◦ To understand specifically what they are doing incorrectly (explanation, video, mirrors)

◦ To believe a fix will make them faster and be motivated to change (coaches must sell)

◦ To be able to FEEL what it feels like to do the stroke properly (ask questions)

◦ To be able to swim slowly correctly over a long period of time

◦ To maintain correct technique at a faster speed

◦ To maintain correct technique while swimming fatigued

◦ To maintain correct technique in competition

The Process of Stroke CorrectionThe coach needs:

◦ To be able to diagnose the problem (stroke flaws can be traced to 5 areas)

◦ To be able to prescribe the appropriate fix (there are 5 techniques that help you correct)

◦ To know when and in what setting to fix (there are 5 situations when to attempt a fix)

◦ To reinforce daily

◦ To have patience

All stroke flaws can betraced to flaws in…

1. Body Position2. Kicking3. Recovery and Pull4. Timing5. Breathing Technique

Techniques to Correct Include:

1. Video (awareness/believe the problem exists)

2. Mirrors (self-correcting)

3. Positioning Techniques (kinesthetic teaching)

4. Magic Words (mantras, explanations and

descriptions)

5. Drills, Visual Aids, and Equipment (specific to the

problem)

When and in what setting to attempt a fix

1. Private lesson

2. Group lesson

3. Warm-up

4. In the middle of a set

5. Warm-down

Common Freestyle Flawsand the Fix

Improper Head and Body Positions

Problem:Head too high, posture opened up

Fix:

• Head Demonstration with Pencil

• Mirrors

• No wrinkles in neck

• Lean in on your air (lungs deeper into the water)

• Float the legs freestyle

• Feel your kick higher than your head

• Tuck hips under, belly button in

• Swim downhill

Kicking FlawsFix:

• Long legs, loose ankles, move from the top of the legs, whip it

• Keep it up and moving count 1-2-3/1-2-3

• Stay in a narrow box, big toes brush

Problem:

Flexed feet, too much knee bend, too little knee bend, wide movements, interrupted kick

Recovery FlawsProblem:

Out of the scapular plane, hand leading, palm turned out, not natural

Fix:

• Swing from the shoulders

• Palm faces the body initially

• Let gravity shape your hands-stay out of your hands

Entry FlawsProblem:

Cross-over on entry, incorrect

hand position

Fix:

• Recovery fixes

• Positioning techniques

• Look and See drill-eyes high

• Scooter Drill with board

• Longest Finger First

• Enter hand outside of the black line at shoulder width

Catch and Pulling FlawsProblem:

Dropped elbow, petting the dog,

cross over

Fix:

• Don’t over rotate

• Face palms back-elbows so up and out

• Pull on edge of black line

• Enter and glide on railroad tracks

• Think of the early vertical forearm

• Mirrors

• Pull toward outer edge of thigh

• Keeps underarms open

Breathing FlawsFix:

• Air exchange

• Head demonstration with pencil

• Positioning Techniques

• Mirrors

• Start turning head as non-breathing arm is about to enter

• Return head quickly after breath

• One-sided position “11” drill

Problem:

Head lifts before and/or after breath,

swimmer loses balance while breathing

causing inefficient pull, late breathing

Common Backstroke Flaws and

the Fix

Improper Head and Body Positions

Problem:

Chin down too much, back too much and/or

elevated, bending at the waist, drops hips,

looks uncomfortable

Fix:• Neck deeper into the water, head needs

to rest in the water

• Hips tucked under

• Chicken head test

• Water over face is OK

• Avoid saying “head back”

• Position of eyes @ 45-90 degrees

Problem: Moving the head

Fix:

• Head demonstration

• Video

• Mirrors

• Ropes

• Balancing objects

• Positioning Techniques

Problem: No rotation

Fix:• Doll demonstration-don’t be a barge,

slice sideways through the water

• Kickboard between legs

• 6-3-6 Drill

• 6 count one-arm double pause

• Goggles off-shoulder spot

Entry Flaws

Problem:Over reaching, wide entry, back hand smash, waitress hands (extension), collapsed elbow, entry pause

Fix:• Earlier Rotation

• Stay within scapular plane

• Double Arm back

• Half Recoveries

• Mirrors

• Paddles

• One Pound weights

• Break through the ice

• Positioning techniques

• Tempo trainers

Pulling FlawsProblem:

Straight arm and improper pitch of

the hand, late catch, dropped elbow

Fix:

• Re-teaching the bent arm pull

• Vertical double-arm backstroke

• Fist swimming

• Strapless paddles

• Look and See Drill

• Pull the water in the other lane

• Keep water pressure on your hands

Exit and Recovery FlawsProblem:

Little finger exit, palm down exit, hand lift

and wide swing

Fix:

• Leg brush on exit of hands

• One pound weights – lift from the shoulders

• Half recoveries

• Let gravity shape your hand

• Focus Points

Improper Kicking and Timing Flaws

Problem:

Swimmers who pump their knees up

and down, bicycle movement, knees

break the surface, interrupted kick,

over kicking (too many beats per cycle)

Fix:• Slow down

• Land kicking

• Look and see

• Feel the straight downward motion of the legs

• Finish kick under water, the leg straightens under water

• Fins – bend the fins both ways

• Jacuzzi effect

• Count 1-2-3/1-2-3

• Exit of arm coincides with downbeat of same side kick

Common Breaststroke Flawsand the Fix

Body Position and Gliding FlawsProblem:

No glide, gliding uphill, fingers uphill

Fix:

• Mirrors

• Thumb lock ear squeeze and toes touch

• Start pull after toes touch

• Tuck hips under, belly button in

• Lean lungs in deeper

• Sternum the deepest part of body

Kicking Flaws

Problem:

Knees too wide, no turn out, DQ foot drop,

scissor kick, knees underbody

Fix:• Doll demonstration

• Kick on back with board over knees

• Soccer pass analogy

• Vertical kicking

• Rubber bands

• Noodle to level hips

• Look and see drill

• Mirrors

• Positioning techniques

• Hand by side kicking drill, head up to breathe

Pulling and Recovery FlawsProblem:

No “Y” press, sliding

elbows back, too wide,

too narrow, too far back,

too deep, too shallow,

no vertical forearm,

pause at breath

Fix:• Wall pull drill

• Head up – look and see

• With noodle under arms

• Seahorse noodle

• Mirrors- no breathing

• EVF freeze

• Monster Scull

• Over lane-line pull

• Shoot shallow, straight and speedy

• Keep elbows high

Timing FlawsProblem:

Kicking too early, kicking too late

Fix:

• Separation Drill

• Double kick breast

• Double pull breast

• Need to slide the hips

• Need to glide – distance per cycle

Breathing and Head Position Flaws

Problem:Breathing too early, breathing too late,

lifting eyes to breathe, dropping head

while breathing (bird head)

Fix:

• Head demonstration

• Mirrors – see the “Y” then breathe

• Positioning techniques

• Breathe on the inward scoop

• See the water 2 feet in front of you, shoot hands to that spot, see the shoot

• Tennis ball

• Move as one unit when going to air

• Move as one unit when going to extension

Common Butterfly Flaws and the Fix

Improper Head and Body Position

Problem:

Over kicking, too much knee bend, double

splash, flutter kick

Fix:

• Just pull and press chest

• Keep legs long

• Fast action kick Fly with board

Recovery FlawsProblem:

Thumb leads recovery, elevated recovery,

crash landings, bent elbows

Fix:

• One pound weights

• Snow angels

• Round out exit

• Fingers face back as long as possible

• Boogie board

• Look for good wingspan

• Exit scull

Entry and Pulling Flaws

Problem:

Wrist breaks on entry, hula hands, hands

press out, dropping the elbow

Fix:

◦ Pull the first water you touch

◦ One-arm butterfly – look and see

◦ Strapless paddles – one arm

◦ Pull with agility paddles

◦ Mirrors

◦ Pull like you are on a surfboard

◦ Vertical butterfly pull

Timing Flaws

Problem:Double bump, misplaced kicks,

bouncing stroke

Fix:• Time kicks to head movement-one arm

butterfly first

• Kick when the head goes down, kick when the head moves up

• Press chest once per stroke cycle butterfly

• Round out exits-don’t try too hard at the finish

• Head and shoulders reappear near the end of the pull

• Don’t tuck chin on pull-stay neutral

• Second kick straightens body as arms exit

Breathing FlawsProblem:

Breathing too late, coming up too high, leaving head up too long (seeing arms)

Fix:

• Head demonstration

• Early breathing drill

• Breathe before hands come out of the water

• Chin on water

• After breathing, see the bottom of the pool before arms land

• Mirrors