Post Event Write-up: Bangalore Swimming Workshop May 2nd, 2015

  We had great time organizing Bangalore Swimming Workshop by Mike Johnson. For those of you who missed it,

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Attached is a set of videos for different aspects of the freestyle stroke.  We covered many of these points in the workshop and there's a lot more quality information here about the fundamentals.

Swimming requires strength and balance in the water, which can only be achieved by practicing consistently.  I suggest the following framework for your practices:

1) Stretching - Ensure that you back, shoulders and legs are loose before entering the water

2) Kicking - Start with some kicking with a kickboard or on your side, stomach or back

3) Drills - Run through some of the drills that are demonstrated in the videos attached.

4) Full stroke - practice putting the stroke and kick together.  Go slowly and ensure that your technique doesn't fall apart when swimming full freestyle

[If you're able to swim 2 laps of the pool without stopping]

5) Endurance Sets - online you will find workouts that you can follow to improve your strength and endurance.  Ensure that your technique is solid before training because it will be harder to correct bad habits later on.

Technique	Videos	Notes
General	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5yvhDCBj7I	Common mistakes in freestyle - many of which were addressed in the workshop
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SONx52cyltI	Breakdown of perfect freestyke stroke
Balance + Rotation: - Your head stays still; eyes down - Rotating around your body's axis (hips and shoulders together) - Posture should be tall	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqeOdpBFATc	Drill for body balance and posture in the water.
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqN3D7YCbZg	Drill for body rotation from workshop
Breathing: - Don’t lift your head - Practice breathing to both sides - Kick to stabilize body when rotating to breathe	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4APU3XMip8	Very detailed dynamics of freestyle breathing
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqN3D7YCbZg	Drill for good breathing technique
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omNLIGgtGHc	Drills and technique for breathing in open water
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCDRmpS8N5s	Common mistakes in breathing
Kicking: - Toes pointed - Ankles relaxed - Kick from your hips - Small, tight kicks	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgZ5-oatDg8	Basics of kicking
Stroke: - Fingertips enter water first - Hands make 'S' shape under body - Accelerate your hands as you push past you hips	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7-xnvc3ap8	Catch-up drill to help with pull
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_MMncLQcmA	Fingertip drag drill to help with high-elbow recovery