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Favorite Stroke?

littlemissXsunshine
littlemissXsunshine Posts: 27 Member
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Freestyle I can barely do. I struggle a lot and I know my form isn't great. I'm learning though! Slowly, but surely.
Butterfly I haven't begun to learn, and probably won't for a while. I'm still a very early beginner.
Back, I like. I usually do it slowly as a warm up and/or cool down. It feels good on my shoulders after doing a lot of breast lol. I think my pull is pretty good though lol.
But breast! Now that's my stroke! I feel like I'm constantly improving. Just started learning it a couple weeks ago with almost no stamina, but today I managed 2x 400m breasts and a 200m breast! I love breaststroke. :happy: :heart:

So what about YOU?! What's your favorite stroke and why? :smile:

Replies

  • Macstraw
    Macstraw Posts: 896 Member
    Fly, for sure. I love how powerful it feels. I like free also, but for distances as I'm not built to be a sprinter. I learned fly at a fairly young age, my older brother, who was one of my first coaches, had a really good fly as did my sister so it runs in the family. Both of my kids have a good fly too.
  • ProfessorOwl
    ProfessorOwl Posts: 312 Member
    In order:

    Fly - I totally go into beast mode.
    Breast - To me it seems the most technical and I'm always learning some new subtlety that I hadn't considered before.
    Free - A bit frustrating because I always think I'm doing it pretty efficiently. Then I see underwater video of me.
    Back - A very distant fourth. Hate backstroke. It's good for recovering from fly on a 400 IM, but other than that I'm flailing.
  • littlemissXsunshine
    littlemissXsunshine Posts: 27 Member
    Man I am sooo far away from learning Fly :P It looks really cool, though. Is it hard to learn?
    The biggest problem I have with Back is that I tend to lean left (probably cuz I'm right handed and my right arm is stronger lol) so I end up hitting the lane line. Lol. Oh well. I still love it after a really long set.
  • ProfessorOwl
    ProfessorOwl Posts: 312 Member
    The hardest part of fly is timing. I find doing one-armed fly drills really helps with figuring out the timing between the pull and the kicks. Watching videos on youtube can help a bunch too, but buyer beware - a lot of them are pretty bad.
  • Macstraw
    Macstraw Posts: 896 Member
    Timing is, indeed, the key. Search You Tube for a video on butterfly tipping drills - it's a good place to start to get the body motion.....
  • smm773
    smm773 Posts: 56 Member
    I like breast stroke best, though I somehow feel like since I don't get as winded doing it that I am not working hard enough. I have been trying to refine my technique with the videos . . .I like doing free now that I can do it properly and love sprinting (usually i love it when it's done, not when i am in the middle and feel like i am going to die). I wish i liked back stroke better, but like you i am always flailing from one side to another, and/or looking to see where I am so I don't crash into the wall.

    I think the fly looks cool, but I have no idea how to do it, and wouldn't want to attempt it in a pool filled with people as I am sure that would be QUITE the attraction!! lol
  • Ms_J1
    Ms_J1 Posts: 253 Member
    Fly. Which is odd for me because I hated it all my life up until recently. I suppose I like it because I can now do it decently. I can actually hear the "whoosh!" sound the water makes when my arms are at the middle of the pull. It's a very powerful feeling stroke.

    My least favorite is the backstroke because it's my best stroke and I was the team's backstroker and I've done it so much that I'm sick of it.
  • Ms_J1
    Ms_J1 Posts: 253 Member
    I like breast stroke best, though I somehow feel like since I don't get as winded doing it that I am not working hard enough.

    Lol - I know what you mean. The breast stoke is a stroke you can make as easy on yourself or as hard on yourself as you want. Next time, try pulling as hard as you can and put your legs out as far apart as you can before kicking them together for one lap. You'll get winded.
  • littlemissXsunshine
    littlemissXsunshine Posts: 27 Member
    I like breast stroke best, though I somehow feel like since I don't get as winded doing it that I am not working hard enough. I have been trying to refine my technique with the videos . . .I like doing free now that I can do it properly and love sprinting (usually i love it when it's done, not when i am in the middle and feel like i am going to die). I wish i liked back stroke better, but like you i am always flailing from one side to another, and/or looking to see where I am so I don't crash into the wall.

    I think the fly looks cool, but I have no idea how to do it, and wouldn't want to attempt it in a pool filled with people as I am sure that would be QUITE the attraction!! lol

    This makes me laugh lol. But yeah I get the same feeling sometimes about not feeling as winded doing breast. Today though, I really worked my kick really hard and dang!! I increased my time and everything! :) Or decreased I guess lol. Improved. Hahaha. xD And it's funny that you like sprinting. I get that same feeling of wanting to die, but it doesn't go away after!! XD I much prefer long-distance swims. Yesterday I did a 1000m breast and today I did a 500m breast.

    I like free, but I'm still learning, so it's hard to totally enjoy when I feel like I'm choking or gasping for air half the time haha. I'm getting better though. Did like 600m of free drills today. Woo!

    Do any of you lift weights or anything outside of the pool to try to improve your stroke? Do you do specific lifting routines for your specific stroke or swimming or whatever? I found a lifting routine and started it today, in hopes that it will help my strength and improve my breast and free kicks especially :)
  • Ms_J1
    Ms_J1 Posts: 253 Member
    Do any of you lift weights or anything outside of the pool to try to improve your stroke? Do you do specific lifting routines for your specific stroke or swimming or whatever? I found a lifting routine and started it today, in hopes that it will help my strength and improve my breast and free kicks especially :)

    I do some but not nearly what I should be. I need to get a stronger core.
  • littlemissXsunshine
    littlemissXsunshine Posts: 27 Member
    http://swimming.about.com/cs/drylandexercise/l/bl_wts_a.htm

    This is the routine I started today. It has 3 "phases"
  • ProfessorOwl
    ProfessorOwl Posts: 312 Member
    Do any of you lift weights or anything outside of the pool to try to improve your stroke? Do you do specific lifting routines for your specific stroke or swimming or whatever? I found a lifting routine and started it today, in hopes that it will help my strength and improve my breast and free kicks especially :)

    I really don't, but probably should. The closest thing to that I might do on occasion is incorporate some other exercises in with my swim workout. For instance, one set I may do is:

    11 lengths followed by 11 pushups on the pool deck
    10 lengths followed by 10 pushups on the pool deck
    ...
    all the way down to 1.

    That's a 1650 along with 66 pushups. I might do that on days where I may be a little burned out on swimming a bit and want to mix it up a bit.
  • Ms_J1
    Ms_J1 Posts: 253 Member
    Do any of you lift weights or anything outside of the pool to try to improve your stroke? Do you do specific lifting routines for your specific stroke or swimming or whatever? I found a lifting routine and started it today, in hopes that it will help my strength and improve my breast and free kicks especially :)

    I really don't, but probably should. The closest thing to that I might do on occasion is incorporate some other exercises in with my swim workout. For instance, one set I may do is:

    11 lengths followed by 11 pushups on the pool deck
    10 lengths followed by 10 pushups on the pool deck
    ...
    all the way down to 1.

    That's a 1650 along with 66 pushups. I might do that on days where I may be a little burned out on swimming a bit and want to mix it up a bit.

    But... But... Someone will steal my lane!
  • ProfessorOwl
    ProfessorOwl Posts: 312 Member
    Do any of you lift weights or anything outside of the pool to try to improve your stroke? Do you do specific lifting routines for your specific stroke or swimming or whatever? I found a lifting routine and started it today, in hopes that it will help my strength and improve my breast and free kicks especially :)

    I really don't, but probably should. The closest thing to that I might do on occasion is incorporate some other exercises in with my swim workout. For instance, one set I may do is:

    11 lengths followed by 11 pushups on the pool deck
    10 lengths followed by 10 pushups on the pool deck
    ...
    all the way down to 1.

    That's a 1650 along with 66 pushups. I might do that on days where I may be a little burned out on swimming a bit and want to mix it up a bit.

    But... But... Someone will steal my lane!

    If you look really fierce when you do it, they'll be too intimidated!
  • littlemissXsunshine
    littlemissXsunshine Posts: 27 Member
    Do any of you lift weights or anything outside of the pool to try to improve your stroke? Do you do specific lifting routines for your specific stroke or swimming or whatever? I found a lifting routine and started it today, in hopes that it will help my strength and improve my breast and free kicks especially :)

    I really don't, but probably should. The closest thing to that I might do on occasion is incorporate some other exercises in with my swim workout. For instance, one set I may do is:

    11 lengths followed by 11 pushups on the pool deck
    10 lengths followed by 10 pushups on the pool deck
    ...
    all the way down to 1.

    That's a 1650 along with 66 pushups. I might do that on days where I may be a little burned out on swimming a bit and want to mix it up a bit.

    But... But... Someone will steal my lane!

    If you look really fierce when you do it, they'll be too intimidated!

    Hahahaha. I am cracking up.
  • 60sPanda
    60sPanda Posts: 303 Member
    I used to hate crawl but now I love it. I have recently learnt breaststroke with a fly leg kick which I also love (I can't do the traditional breaststroke legs due to hip problems). My favourite stroke used to be backstroke, but now I hate it as for some reason it really wipes me out. I have a couple of lessons booked to learn fly and can't wait, I have a feeling I will like it :)
  • smm773
    smm773 Posts: 56 Member
    Panda I am intrigued by your breast stroke with fly legs . .i too have hip problems and sometimes have to do a modified kick when i am hurting more.
  • ProfessorOwl
    ProfessorOwl Posts: 312 Member
    I think it's great as a drill too. It helps a lot to do it with fins, at least at first.

    Here's what it looks like:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dloc4V6p8wE
  • littlemissXsunshine
    littlemissXsunshine Posts: 27 Member
    I used to hate crawl but now I love it. I have recently learnt breaststroke with a fly leg kick which I also love (I can't do the traditional breaststroke legs due to hip problems). My favourite stroke used to be backstroke, but now I hate it as for some reason it really wipes me out. I have a couple of lessons booked to learn fly and can't wait, I have a feeling I will like it :)

    I have done that before to practice my breast pull, and when I had a cramp in my leg and couldn't do the regular breast kick. I like it too! :smile:
  • 60sPanda
    60sPanda Posts: 303 Member
    Thanks for the vid - that's exactly how I do that and its great. Also, if you do fly legs on your back with your arms stretched out above your head you really work the stomach.

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