Breathing is the number one thing that will stuff up a swimmer’s alignment. Rotating your head too far to breathe throws your body balance off…so the key to breathing in freestyle is to:
Minimise the impact on the rest your body
The way to do this is to breathe just above the surface, ideally keeping one goggle in the water depending on how choppy conditions are in the water. One of the segments in The Art Of Triathlon Swimming shows how the fastest triathlon swimmers are able to breathe low, keep power in their pull and their heart rate down by controlling their breathing.
In our clinics and camps we help swimmers and triathletes change their breathing so instead of lifting their head to breathe (which creates drag), we show them how to turn their head to stay in a more streamlined position throughout their stroke.
Next time you’re in the water consider where your head is positioned when you breathe. Is it low with one goggle in the water like Annabel Luxford (above)?
Our new technique program The Art Of Triathlon Swimming featuring Clayton Fettell and Annabel Luxford is coming soon. Click here to join the waitlist and be the first to hear when it’s released.
