Freestyle - Shoulder Rotation

If you're like many swimmers, you REALLY enjoy breathing to one side. Even though you're perfectly adept at breathing to both, when you get tired, you have a tendency of "leaning" to your favorite side for air.

Trouble is, if you're leaning too much to one side, you're probably not getting the proper pull with the other hand. This quick sequence of drills, or this progression, is a quick way to PROVE to yourself that you CAN rotate equally to both sides. It should also help you do that more frequently.

Why Do It:

If you have the problem of one side being too dominant, this can help equal things out.

How To Do It:

1. This drill is done with series of 25s. Start with heads-up freestyle. When you keep your head high and your eyes focused directly forward, it's hard NOT to rotate equally to both sides.

2. Start the 25 with a couple strokes of NON-BREATHING freestyle, then take four strokes breathing EVERY stroke... side to side to side... then finish the length with NO-BREATHER freestyle.

3. As you swim, focus on popping each shoulder out of the water, equally to both sides.

That's really it, a quick, short progression that encourages you to rotate your body equally to both sides, and that encourages a clean, quick rotation of the shoulders and hips. You'll probably feel less resistance on the recovery... and we'll have more on THAT topic next week.