Horizontal alignment in swimming. A visual 🧵. 1. By staying...
Andrew Sheaff@AndrewKSheaff
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Dec 26, 2025
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Horizontal alignment in swimming. A visual 🧵.
1. By staying horizontal on the surface of the water, swimmers keep drag as low as possible.
Less drag more speed.
In freestyle, swimmers are trying to stay in the same position throughout, even while executing the breath.
Cont.
1. By staying horizontal on the surface of the water, swimmers keep drag as low as possible.
Less drag more speed.
In freestyle, swimmers are trying to stay in the same position throughout, even while executing the breath.
Cont.
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2. In backstroke, swimmers have the same task of maintaining position throughout the stroke.
While they don’t have to deal with the challenge of breathing, they do have to manage an effective position on their back, which requires a similar yet distinct skill set.
Cont.
While they don’t have to deal with the challenge of breathing, they do have to manage an effective position on their back, which requires a similar yet distinct skill set.
Cont.
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3. Things get more challenging in butterfly where there is a lot more up and down motion throughout the stroke.
While undulation is necessary to breathe and recover the arms, swimmers have to ensure they get back in line after each breath and each recovery.
Cont.
While undulation is necessary to breathe and recover the arms, swimmers have to ensure they get back in line after each breath and each recovery.
Cont.
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4. Those challenges remain in breaststroke.
Swimmers have to move up & down to breathe and to recover the arms and legs forward.
Because there’s no dolphin kick to help get the hips back up after the breath, swimmers need tofocus on driving back into line to keep drag low.
Swimmers have to move up & down to breathe and to recover the arms and legs forward.
Because there’s no dolphin kick to help get the hips back up after the breath, swimmers need tofocus on driving back into line to keep drag low.
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Some swimmers struggle to swim fast because they can’t get their stroke rate up.
Rather than constantly reminding them, using a tempo trainer provides them with external feedback as to whether they’re being effective at maintaining a high stroke rate.
Rather than constantly reminding them, using a tempo trainer provides them with external feedback as to whether they’re being effective at maintaining a high stroke rate.