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 lesson2. Group lesson3. Warm-up4. In the middle of a set5. 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