GoSwim Live Zoom Meetings

**Coaches Ed: Cross-Body Connection in All Four Strokes**

[**Download our PDF Newsletter for this meeting**](https://sinosend.com/w/8vlpL1d)

**Nov 3, 2026 · @Glenn**

**Big idea for the opening**

*   The body leads, and the arms and legs follow. Every stroke runs on one connected core motion.
*   The common failure is limbs acting on their own. That breaks the chain and adds resistance.

**Freestyle: the cross-body connection (main focus)**

*   **The point:** with a two-beat kick, the left catch and the left down-kick happen together. The right hand enters at that same moment.
*   **Glenn's own post backs this up:** [Freestyle – Timing the Kick](https://blog.goswim.tv/post/freestyle-timing-the-kick) (2009) says the opposite leg should be kicking down as the hand enters.
*   **Discussion hook:** coaches argue online about whether the two-beat kick is same-side or opposite-side.
*   [Some describe](https://swimlikeafish.org/2-beat-vs-6-beat-kick-in-swimming) a same-side kick, timed at the catch.
*   Others time it to the opposite hand's entry.
*   **Line to say:** "They're describing the same instant. Left catch, left down-kick, right entry: one moment, one connection."
*   **Featured videos this week:**

1.  Mon: [Better Freestyle Concepts: Connect Hands to Hips](https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3032-connect-hands-to-the-hips)
2.  Tue: [Jason Lezak: Connect the Catch to the Core](https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/353-connect-the-catch-to-the-core)
3.  Wed: [All Strokes w/ Sandeno & Vendt: Freestyle](https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/550-freestyle)
4.  Thu: [Free Drill: Timing the Hands and Hips](https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1924-freestyle-eval-timing-the-hands-and-hips)
5.  Fri: [Free Drill: Bama Balance & Connection](https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2056-freestyle-better-balance-and-connectivity)
6.  Sat: [Free Drill: No-Kick Stability](https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2088-freestyle-no-kick-freestyle)
7.  Sun: [Free Drill: The Stick Lesson](https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2344-freestyle-the-stick-lesson)
8.  Bonus: [Free Drill: Connection Variation](https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1414-freestyle-connection-variation)

*   **Open question:** video text still to be added (lessons are behind the member login).

**Butterfly: the chest and hips seesaw**

*   **The pattern:** when the chest presses down, the hips rise. Arms and legs follow that rhythm; they don't start it.
*   [**Sandeno & Vendt**](https://www.goswim.tv/courses/20-all-strokes-with-kaitlin-sandeno-erik-vendt)\*\* (this Wednesday's video series):\*\* both start every kick from the chest rather than the knees. As the chest goes down, the hips go up.
*   [**Eric Shanteau series**](https://www.goswim.tv/courses/27-go-swim-all-strokes-with-eric-shanteau)**:** he presses the chest as the hands enter, which lets him draw power from his core instead of just his arms and legs.
*   **Blog drill, **[**COMBO – No-Hands Slinky**](https://blog.goswim.tv/post/combo-no-hands-slinky)**:** press with the chest and let the hips and feet follow. It warns against kicking so hard the kick becomes the focus.
*   **Blog drill, **[**Combo Mini Pull Fly/Breast**](https://blog.goswim.tv/post/combo-mini-pull-fly-breast)**:** the feeling to aim for is the chest and hips giving the power, with the hands just helping the hips.

**Backstroke: the hip slide and the obliques**

*   [**Peirsol series**](https://www.goswim.tv/courses/6-go-swim-backstroke-with-aaron-peirsol)**, "Slide the Hips":** for Aaron, rotation means sliding the hips side to side. As he pushes his hip to the side, he squeezes the muscles along the side of his pulling arm, which is the torque from the core.
*   **Contrast with the **[**Margaret Hoelzer series**](https://www.goswim.tv/courses/10-go-swim-backstroke-with-margaret-hoelzer)**, "Big Rotation":** she gets her power from deep hip rotation. She throws her hips as her hand pulls, anchors the hand, then drives the hips to the other side.
*   **Discussion hook:** a slide or a big rotation? Two valid answers that suit different swimmers. Both tie the pull to the core.
*   **Blog drill, **[**Backstroke – Steady Kick**](https://blog.goswim.tv/post/backstroke-steady-kick)** (Barbara, 2007):** rotate from hip to hip with a steady head. It connects the kick to the core in a way standard flutter kick can't.

**Breaststroke: the arms pull the hips, and the hips pull the legs**

\*\*﻿\*\*

*   **Glenn's own post, **[**Breaststroke – Timing the Kick**](https://blog.goswim.tv/post/breaststroke-timing-the-kick)** (2008):** the goal is legs drawn forward by the hips, which are drawn forward by the arms. That's the thesis almost word for word.
*   **Older GoSwim "Breaststroke 101" text, **[**quoted on a USMS forum**](https://community.usms.org/swimming/f/general/11111/breaststroke-questions/182868)**:** keep the legs together and extended as the insweep starts, and wait until the last moment to separate the legs and bend the knees.
*   **Line on over-kicking:** "Legs that recover on their own break the chain and add drag."
*   **Open question:** which breaststroke video to show for this point.

**Summary**

**Video Project and Voting Discussion**

The group discussed voting, with Glenn and Mike sharing their experiences about early voting. Glenn mentioned having 90 people signed up for an ambitious video project and planned to review 17 videos during the meeting. The conversation included casual discussion about pets and ended with Glenn starting the recording for the main meeting agenda.

**GoSwim Platform Feature Demonstration**

Glenn led a meeting focused on demonstrating new features of GoSwim's platform and discussing the importance of Cross-Body Connection in swimming. He showcased customized dashboards, AI-driven analytics, and a new feature allowing coaches to schedule and track athlete filming. The main discussion centered on the Cross-Body Connection concept in freestyle swimming, with Glenn analyzing videos of various swimmers to illustrate how the body and arms work together. He emphasized that effective swimming relies on connecting the arms, legs, and core as a unified machine, rather than separate movements.

**Swimming Technique Demonstration Session**

Glenn demonstrated various swimming drills and techniques focusing on cross-body connections across different strokes. He explained proper stick drills for freestyle, emphasizing the importance of lifting the stick without moving the arm, and showed examples of correct and incorrect techniques. The discussion covered butterfly stroke mechanics, highlighting how pressing the chest and head down creates the necessary body position against natural tendencies, and included specific exercises like using kickboards and mini poles for breaststroke and butterfly timing. Glenn also mentioned that Claude helped compile content from 25 years of materials to enhance the website and app with new features and additional videos.


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Nov. 3, 2026 - Cross-Body Connection