Freestyle - First Breath

Posted by Glenn Mills on Nov 17, 2009 09:00AM (22,043 views)

The argument will go on forever... coaches want swimmers to SWIM off the walls, while swimmers want to grab some well deserved AIR! All agree, however, that the fastest you'll be going as a swimmer in a race, is off the walls.

The first breath off the wall after a freestyle flip turn can make, or break, your race. This drill describes three options for taking that first breath, and then you'll have to decide which is right for you.

Why Do It:
Every swimmer must discover the balance between maintaining velocity... and getting air. This is especially true on each pushoff. Glide too long and you lose velocity (but you get that little bit of extra "down" time). Go to air too soon and you also lose velocity. You have to develop a feel for the timing that gives you the best of both -- enough velocity to travel fast and enough air to manage your overall energy throughout a race.

How to Do It:
1. Swim into the wall as you normally would. In test #1, you'll be RUSHING to air, which is probably what you normally do when you're really hurting in practice. When you come off the wall, you'll be leaning to one side or the other. The side that you're leaning to will be the side on which your mouth is closest to air. As you push off the wall, initiate your first stroke with the arm that's also closest to the surface and take a breath.

2. In test #2, you'll also be rushing a bit, but you're going to initiate the first stroke with the arm that's AWAY from the side to which you're leaning. In this drill, you'll be following THAT arm to air. While you're still breathing on the first stroke, it should be easier for you to maintain a better body line. It should also be easier for you to initiate full-body rotation.

3. Finally, in test #3, you'll initiate the first stroke with the arm that's away from the side to which you're leaning, but you won't follow that arm to air. Instead, you'll follow the other arm to air when you initiate your first stroke with it. In a way, it's still your first stroke (with that arm), but you'll be maintaining the MOST momentum with this option.

How to Do It Really well (the Fine Points):
Option1 swimmers are in urgent need of air... and they ruin all that great speed for the sake of breathing. What they don't realize is that if they could go without air for only another few TENTHS of a second, they could maintain a higher speed (hang on to their momentum) for a longer time.

Test #2 is an OK option. You'll at least have to rotate your body all the way to the other side to catch that first breath. If you've been using option #1, then option #2 is MUCH better.

Option #3 is by far the best. It lets you maintaining the most momentum. Sure, you'll hurt for a few tenths longer, but that pain will subside when you see how much you've just gained on the swimmer in the next lane.

Funny how winning seems to eliminate all pain.

Originally published on August 18, 2006

Responses

SwimMuseDeb	Responded Aug 22, 2006 09:11AM Hey Glenn! Worked on this at this morning's workout...plus other things from the workshop last weekend. I was moving faster all morning and this "little" addition didn't add any torture at all! In fact it helped me organize. I like it! Now I have the rest of the day to breathe. ;)
Floyd	Responded Aug 23, 2006 02:05PM I started doing this a couple of years ago and after progressing through steps 1 & 2. It's so natural now that I don't even think about it, and during the early part of a workout, am able to go an additional stroke before breathing without feeling too desparate for air. I find that I am surfacing 1-2 yards (meters) beyond the flags off of every turn.
iswim	Responded Aug 28, 2006 11:05AM what i noticed this a.m. while doing this is that although i was a bit desperate for air off the wall, i kept exhaling and by the time i took a breath it was a good, full measure of air. so for me, double benefit: come out ahead AND get a more complete breath which in and of itself takes you farther... wait- that's three pluses!
James Stuart	Responded Nov 17, 2009 05:47PM Interesting but its not efficient during races just only fitness swimming etc that it
Glenn Mills	Responded Nov 17, 2009 05:55PM I beg to differ James. You'll see a lot of people using all three of these during races, and while even the WORST option isn't great... sometimes the need for air is more beneficial based on how you swam the first part of a race. There are always situations that present different options.
oldmarlin	Responded Nov 17, 2009 05:59PM James, I have had swimmers not breathing off the wall for years and it allows them to keep and use some of their momentum off of the alls. Why are you saying that this is not efficient during races?
Trev	Responded Nov 18, 2009 12:52AM I find I get a SIGNIFICANT amount more yardage off the wall if I just take one stroke, then breathe. I try to integrate the habit into every workout, and then breathe only after 2 or 3 strokes off the wall during races.
steve	Responded Nov 18, 2009 02:19AM Instead of one full stroke cycle prior to taking in air, sometimes I take a half stroke. I turn rotating onto my left shoulder, my right arm takes the first pull (instead of left arm) then I breath left.
steve	Responded Nov 18, 2009 02:23AM My post above is actually test #3 I find.
Glenn Mills	Responded Nov 18, 2009 02:08PM Trev and Steve. Excellent. Working this consistently is the only way to make it stick when it really matters. There are other factors that play into this as well... as I was swimming this morning, one of my "personal rules", is that I try to not start swimming freestyle until my feet are at the flags on every push. As I get tired, I try to maintain that... which makes achieving the 3rd option just a bit tougher. So, I sometimes have to determine which will suffer... the length off the wall, or how I break out for the first breath. We'll all need to figure that out for ourselves. Always a search huh?
James Stuart	Responded Nov 18, 2009 07:12PM Cos oldmarlin, its caused a delay or took time on races etc
sprinter	Responded Nov 19, 2009 02:08PM I learned not breathing on first strokes after turns as my very first swim coach told me that I should take a breath to the oposite direction of my turn, because it compeltes the rotation. I rotate to the left. I agreed with him; it felt better, but I wasn't really able to do exactly what he told me, because at that time I felt very uncomfortable breathing to the left. So I started taking first stroke with the left arm after the turns, which was completing my rotation as my coach asked me to, and then breathing on the next stroke. It deffinitelly turned out in my advantage. Not breathing on first strokes, even on backstroke, is so natural for me now, that I struggle doing differently if I'm asked to. Long live individualism! :)
Mark	Responded 13 days ago It's hard to make the transition from taking a breath your first stroke, to taking a stroke before your first breath. I have found that every skill takes time and practice to perfect. So, if you swim 3,000 yards of freestyle a day, that is 120 walls (opportunities) to practice this skill. Before you know it, it will become natural Happy Swimming!