Freestyle Mastery: Practical Tips for Perfecting Your Stroke with Tracey Baumann

[@33Jenesis]

When I first started I was a newly retired overweight female who never went beyond the basics in the pool (float crunch bubble kick while held onto pool edge). It took me 18 months of being alone in a 18 meter pool to barely able to breathe both sides before starting lap swim this year. I just cut another 5 minutes off 1600 meters (my daily mileage). This video makes me recalling my journey learning front crawl from KZbin coaches. From my experience as an later age newbie: 1. Being fit helps. Took me a long time to get some abs to balance better in water. The fitter I got the better I could keep my body in streamline while executing the sequence of movements 2. Awareness. I always took time to analyze the lap I just did; how I felt and where I under or over did something. I could make adjustments in return lap. In lap pool I see may regulars doing the same every day. They can swim non stop but the speed posture and awareness are all missing. 3. Body awareness. Some have it naturally like a like of athletes. Some need consciousness like me. During a lap I constantly monitor my body line catch pull recovery kick rotation and breathing. It is often a feel, how the water reacts to my movements. Lately when everything was in place I felt like a knife cutting thru oil. I felt the speed and rhythm. Watching lap regulars I think a lot of ppl swim without thinking. They just do it as a habit like they always eat a hamburger on Friday night sort of habit. Swimming isn’t natural for most ppl but it can be learned and improved. If I can do it from KZbin coaches, everybody can. It does take considerable effort to make it better.

[@SprintTri57]

I read an article back in college in a sports psychology class (now 58 yo) that talked about runners, mainly sprinters to “let the meat hang on the bones.” I am still competitive in short course triathlon and use this imagery all the time. It just helps unnecessary tension to take over allowing the body to move unrestricted

[@ktech4246]

Really like the open and close gate concept for recovery, definitely buy her book. It is really free speed when done correctly which for me made a world of difference in maintaining perpetual motion. I found thinking thumb to thigh then drag up to hip then open and close gate I get the best recovery stroke with elbow leading and feelingl the continuous forward momentum.

[@bukkfrig]

Thanks. I have always done breathing on 3, so when I tried to breathe on 2 it felt a bit like being in a washing machine, because of having no muscle memory for it. Need to practice the timing and stop turning the head too far. Sounds like taking the time to learn it will be worth it.

[@giladweisz1]

I recently listened to this episode on Spotify and absolutely loved it! It would be amazing if you could include the video version from now on, not just the audio. Thank you!

[@qu_outdoors4041]

I just absorbed more in 30mins then i have in the last two years. Bravo

[@lifesavingTaiwan]

I enjoyed this podcast. I now have the Kindle book, and the hard copy is on its way.

[@SmilingScuba]

Immediately got the Kindle book too.

[@notmyrealname6272]

The thoracic breathing things is huge for me. On the right I feel I have all day and breathe deeply but in the left I can literally feel myself gasping and am pretty sure I don’t actually get any air at all. When I then breathe only tk the left I’m dead in 20m and to the right I could go all day. Is this the permission I was looking for to breathe only to the right?? Hehe. Ok I need to still work on the left but not in an event. Yesss. My neck is so stiff from years as a professional violinist probably and turning it smoothly to the left is a real issue.

[@soigne-yourhealthcoach1485]

Great info explained in an easy to understand way!

[@annajohnstone4295]

Have just bought the book and starting from scratch. Thank you so much will need to book a lesson❤

[@33Jenesis]

I breathe every 7/5/4/3/2, each for 200 meters. I mix them from time to time to not get stale. I find that the subtle difference in air out and energy control is very beneficial. I still get some panic while breathe every 7 when I sense the lack of oxygen. It helps me to manage panic and be mindful of being relaxed and not overthinking air lacking. Breathing every 2/3/4 becomes easy over time after the more difficult every 5/7. I try not to change the rhythm and stroke rate for each breathing. So far my stroke rate is between 21 to 24 each lap depending on if I float a bit longer between strokes and if nothing was over/under done.

[@luksweam]

As always a very interesting contents. Thank you.

[@MrMooney123456]

thank you for this interview video, I've watched it 3 times. it really changed my position in the water thank you so much

[@Davidparle71]

So when a coach prescribes strong swimming how do we avoid tension and too much "pulling"

[@open_water2411]

Interesting discussion especially on the catch. Is ‘pull’ the wrong term then for what actually happens after the catch with the arms? And do we need to focus more on the pull being what you do once you’ve anchored your arm to ease the body past the arm? Very informative video. Thanks.

[@swimmastery]

I tend to try and steer Summers away from the word Paul, as this can create incorrect joint mechanics and a dropped elbow. So focusing on folding over the water and imagining you can hold onto it and rotate past it is a great thought process for directing and converting effort into Foord momentum.

[@darrenconway8117]

I am 61years old and started to learn to swim freestyle about 6 weeks ago. First day I couldn't swim more than 15m without stopping. Never heard of "catch", "recovery" and other terms before finding this channel. I am gasping for air and I know it is wrong but so difficult to change. From day one I have done bilateral 3 breathing. Lots of videos on technique but none found on old beginners training programme so I made one up. I have gradually increased the number of lengths so today I did 32 individual lengths = 800m. Only just starting to relax a little. Target is 1000m, then learn to flip turn and start joining lengths until I can do 1000m without stopping. That's the plan. Is it a good plan? No idea.

[@El-flaco-d]

If you can swim 800 meters you should be able to swim 1000 meters. It’s all in your head if you get tired after 800 m. I would try to swim your first lap breathing every four strikes but only for the first lap. I would also include using a pulley board for the legs to keep your legs up. Put between your thighs until it becomes easy. Then put it to your knees . Once you master that up grade and put it to your ankles . This will allow you to focus on your stroke. After your ready to kick learn the two beat kick first. Kick correctly isn’t easy. I would concentrate on the arms first then the legs.

[@darrenconway8117]

@@El-flaco-d Hi Thanks. Over the last 6 weeks I have been incrementally making my way to the 1000m mark. Once I get there, the target will be to convert 40 individual lengths to one continuous swim. I have found no part of swimming is natural or easy.

[@El-flaco-d]

@@darrenconway8117 I’m 52 and I started swimming when I was 45. Now I mostly swim to stay in shape. I also watch his videos when I was starting out. It helped me focus on swimming correctly. The only bad thing about swimming so many laps when you just learning is that if you’re not doing it correctly you building bad habits. So the more times you swim the wrong way then you have to go back and unlearn it in order to learn to swim correctly. The secret of learning to swim correctly is not to focus so much on laps but just focus on swimming drills .

[@darrenconway8117]

@@El-flaco-d I'll never be swimming competitively so if I get it 90% right, that's OK. I am doing some drills but probably less than I should.

[@the_sheet]

is there a part 2? the video ended ½ way through the discussion about arm recovery...

[@EffortlessSwimming]

You can listen to the FULL EPISODE (57:27 min) here: effortlessswimming.com/freestyle-mastery-practical-tips-for-perfecting-your-stroke-with-tracey-baumann/

[@the_sheet]

@@EffortlessSwimming oh I see it in the notes section now. thank you

[@levanoganezov8067]

Great episode! Thank you very much! A lot of very helpful insights on body position, catch, breathing and coordination

[@flyboymic7182]

Now the question is, I can control my breathing for a 100meter swim and breathing is smooth and no struggling, but as soon as I stop I notice my breathing is heavy but not deep, but when ever I’m swimming during the one minute for the 100 my breathing feels like I’m breathing normally on land. But why can I not go further than 100 meters cause don’t know why just I simply think I can’t continue swimming after 100 meters, but I should be able too if I have no issues with my breathing and rhythm together.

[@swimmastery]

Hi there, without getting a little more information I would guess that you are not exhaling enough. Next time you swim your hundred metres try thinking about exhaling more and see if this makes you feel any better or allows you to go any further.

[@notmyrealname6272]

I was just about to say the same thing. When I tried this recently it transformed my swimming. Complete exhalation makes a huge difference.

[@jennyheron4945]

what do you suggest for 2 stroke breathing if you are not in a pool. Swimming parallel to the beach, do i do 2 stroke for the 1km down the beach and then swap for the 1km back or would that be too much? I have been doing 3 stroke so i can see if there is a bigger swell/wave coming as well as seeing if i am getting too far away from the beach? Thanks

[@swimmastery]

I would suggest doing a mix. For example 8 left, 8 right. Alternatively is you could choose one side and every now and then breathe every 3 to check the surf. As this would mean you would not be breathing into the waves too often which could lead to a head lift in your stroke.

[@jakemalloy]

I find it hard to take a diaphragm breath when I'm trying to keep my core tight, but I'll keep working on it.

[@swimmastery]

I hear this a lot. Try and release your abdominal muscles in particular whilst still tapping into all the muscles around your torso by sending your head away from your feet. That should release the tension for you to take a diaphragmatic breath

[@janicamp]

You might want to stop calling it ‘The side kick’ drill. That idea conjures up the wrong body position. We are not in fact on our sides. Consider the using ´torpedo drill’.