Where To Look? - Front Crawl

theholyghost

I've been obsessively learning to front crawl correctly for the past week or so.

My teacher told me to look right down at the bottom of the pool which I've been doing for a few days. I was doing some research online today and the articles I've read and videos I looked at say NOT to look too far down but to look slightly ahead with the face in the water but the head out.

I was trying to do that tonight but then I was chatting to the lifeguard and he was telling me to look straight down and that I'll never get my breathing right unless I do that.

I'm having trouble with my breathing, so, I would like to get my face position right from the start. Not sure if these instructors are completely wrong or not...

Any input on what to do with my head?

AngryHippie

Break the stroke down.

Kickboard, with full legs, and one arm at a time (Catch up drill with a kickboard)

Your face should be in the water, with the water surface around where you hairline is (or was or should be....hehehe)

The whole idea is that your spine is in a more or less neutral position, and that you are neither elevating or depressing your head. To do so will cause a balancing reaction somewhere around the other end of your body.

if you lift your head, your feet sink.

If you force your head under, your feet rise.

As for the breathing action, you need to roll your shoulders in front crawl in order to take a breath. and let your head turn with your shoulders so that you are effectively facing the side of the pool, then a slight turn of your head will allow you to breathe, without having to lift your head, crane your neck or otherwise change your balanced position.

Don't expect to get the hang of it in a week. It will take a youngster 10-15 hours of pool time to get the hang of it. Double that if you are in your twenties or thirties and triple it if you are older than that.

Plenty of practice. If you're not sure of something, ask.

The LG was right about it being impossible to master breathing without getting your face in the water, but probably should have explained why...... your feet will sink, your drag will increase and you will end up slowing to a total halt in the water. (standing position) or you will exhaust yourself trying to drag yourself forwards in the water, and will run out energy once your arms get tired and sore.

Lots of leg work and drill work would be my suggestion.

theholyghost

Thanks for taking the time to give me all of that feedback.

I mostly spend my sessions just focusing on my legs and not using my arms at all. I'm trying to concentrate on getting a good up and down kick, I'm inclined to fall back into a bit of a breast stroke kick at times. I will stick to this exclusively for the next few weeks. At the moment, I just stop about 3 times in length, breathe and start again.

I do always keep my face in the water but what is really confusing me is that my instructor and the LG were telling me to look straight down at the bottom of the pool. However, what I was reading and looking at on YouTube said to have your face in the water and to look slightly forward, not to look straightdown and not have your head totally submerged. This seems to directly contradict the instructor and the lifeguard.

AngryHippie

Its a development in stages.

If you are concentrating on looking slightly forward, its easy to lift your head too high up, causing your legs to sink, destroying your hard work on your leg kick. It sounds like that is what has been happening. Then to over-compensate to correct the error, your LG & instructor have said head down look down.
Go with their suggestion until you have the leg kick mastered, the only benefit to having the slight look forward is it gives you a little eddy to breath when you are swimming at pace.
Stand with your back to a wall and your head touching the wall. That is the position your body should be in (more or less neutral) for the first few weeks/months while you are mastering balance & leg kicking.

The leg kick provides a lot of additional balance to your body once you get the hang of it. I struggled to get it right for years. I'm not sure what your pool rules are, but if its allowed, try using a set of pool fins for ten or 15 minutes during your practice sessions (not the lessons) they give a lot of feedback and propulsion when you are kicking properly, and you can also get a real feel for the balance that your legs can provide. Just don't get too used to having them on.

The strokes are learned & taught in the following order:
Body position (balance)
Leg Kick
Arms
Breathing
Timing.

To concentrate on getting your breathing correct from the start is like trying to put assemble an engine through the exhaust pipe. - Counter intuitive.

Stick with the tips from the pros. If you have any other questions about why they are shouting something at you or telling you to do something that seems wrong, don't be afraid to ask, But any decent instructor will be giving you teaching points for a reason, they just may not have the time to explain in detail why they are giving the point. (some group lessons get a bit like that)

theholyghost

Thanks again. My kick is improving aparently so I will just stick with that until it is natural.

pc11

theholyghost wrote: »

I've been obsessively learning to front crawl correctly for the past week or so.

It's important to realise you can't make much improvement in a week, it really is a process of weeks, months and years to get good technique ingrained. I've been working pretty hard for most of the last 5 years and it's only this year I'm getting respectable.

I think the Swim Smooth guys say you need 10 hours minimum to practice a specific drill or correction to get it in to you as a habit. There are lots of things to get right, you'll fix one thing today and totally forget about it and it will be there again in a week or 2 months.

theholyghost

Thanks, kinda stupidly only realising how long it takes to get remotely competent!

Mermaria

theholyghost wrote: »

obsessively learning

I'd change obsessively for some fun

theholyghost wrote: »

My teacher told me to look right down at the bottom of the pool.....
.... but then I was chatting to the lifeguard and he was telling me to look straight down and that I'll never get my breathing right unless I do that.

I'm having trouble with my breathing, so, I would like to get my face position right from the start. Not sure if these instructors are completely wrong or not...

Any input on what to do with my head?

My suggestion is be rational ... two persons, who has seen you swimming, have told you the same ... look straight down ... do it!

Now reasons, you're learning front crawl, pool front crawl not sea front crawl.

In pool your reference are the line on floor and the cross on the floor is your reference for turns. Ask to your teacher if these lines in the pool are within FINA standards ... if not, for turns, your reference should be other at pool sides

In pool there's a simple rule, crosses are for turns, the floor is starting point and the wall cross is feet/push point ... nobody should be there unless they're turning.