Swimming

Question
Paul, Swimming front crawl I have tendancy to move my hips from side to side. Looking from above, it is almost like a snake movement. I think it is wasting energy. With my right arm in the water, my hips are moving to the left. What do you thing is causing this and how can I correct it? Thanks, Mike

Answer
Hello Mike!

When you swim freestyle (front crawl, you might be moving your hips side to side because of the way you pull the water. Make sure that when you pull water in front of you, you aren't pulling at a different angle. You tend to want to pull water in a straight, forward motion, 90 degrees to be precise. Sometimes if you sway left and right, it may be because you extend your arms forward in a crisscross motion, moving your right arm more to the left area, and left to the right, this causes you to move in the an S like pattern. Check the way you pull water with your arms and see if it is approximately straight. Film yourself if you have it, and compare it to others that do freestyle.

Another reason why you may be swaying left and right is maybe, when you take your breathes, your head moves a little too high which causes your body to shift towards the side that you are breathing on. As a result, when your head enters the water again, you have to shift back to the original position. It is hard to analyze your problems without a reference, but try these things out and see if they help!

Hope that I was helpful!