Freestyle - Single-Arm Breath

When working with great swimmers, it's always interesting to see what specific things they do that we can all learn from.  Working with Fran Crippen showed us a great breathing drill mixed into an old standard.

 - See much more of Fran Crippen by picking up his DVD.

Why Do It:
Focusing on breathing during single-arm freestyle can help you learn a better way to get more air, and to use your head to lead your body through the rotation.

How to Do It:
1.  Start with standard single-arm freestyle.
2.  You're going to breathe to the side of your non-stroking arm.
3.  When it's time for a breath, rotate your head along with your shoulder, trying to connect the two, or even pushing the shoulder with the head to air.
4.  After the breath, quickly rotate the head back down to center, allowing it to pull the body back through the rotation.

How to Do It Really Well (the Fine Points):
The simple thing to remember about breathing, and in this drill, is to lead with the head.  Push the shoulder to air for a quicker breath, and rotate the head back down to center prior to the body.  Keep a constant kick going through the entire sequence.