All Strokes - Swimmer's Snorkel

We've all either seen, or frequently use, a swimmer's snorkel.  Here are a couple points to focus on next time you strap one to your head.

Why Do It:
The FINIS Swimmer's Snorkel is the best tool for keeping the head stable during swimming.  When you take away the need to turn, or lift your head for air, you can focus on some very specific things.

How to Do It:
FREESTYLE
1.  This is just a quick tip for freestyle.  Of course where you look will be important, but this focus point is all about head stability along the length of your body.
2.  As you swim, make sure your head remains perfectly centerlined.  There should be no movement of the head from side to side.  Once the eye position is set, keep it there.

BREASTSTROKE
1.  Sweeping the hands out prior to lifting the head is one way to maximize the insweep to air in breaststroke.  To learn this, focus on keeping the eyes down during the outsweep.
2.  You're trying to gain the mastery of sweeping the hands out to the widest point (the corners), with the eyes still down.  With the snorkel on, it's much easier to accomplish this.

How to Do It Really Well (the Fine Points):
In freestyle, you can elevate the eyes just a bit, as our athlete is showing, to WATCH how your hands enter and extend forward.  This allows you to monitor if your hands are crossing over during extension.  The snorkel allows you to spend more time paying attention to this than just holding your breath.

In breaststroke, push yourself to stay as wide as possible with the eyes still down, and try not to add too much dolphin kick.

You'll notice that both swimmers are also wearing pull buoys, paddles, and ankle bands to further challenge themselve to not only rely solely upon their arms, but also to challenge the balance in freestyle.