More Swim Critique from the Coaches

The pics are my quazi-coaches for swimming, Trever and Brandyn Roark Gray from Sandpoint Idaho. Last night I received my phone critique from these two fishies. Trever was 10th out of the water at Xterra Worlds and Brandyn was 50th - both in front of Pros. Brandyn was precise and well-versed in his explanation of swim instruction. I could tell this guy knows what he's talking about. I think I got about 5 minutes of free instruction which was worth probably about 3 years worth of my slugging around in the pool. Here's the abbreviated version of the 5 minutes phone call:

• Hand Entry- Out front, fingers-wrist-then-elbow in a line like putting my hand in a tube in the water. More air time, less drag, so enter as far out as possible. The hand and the elbow almost go in in tandem, but not quite. Stretch.
• Pull - hand is neutral, position arm like reaching over a big barrel straight out in front - pull back
• rotation - not bad (my only ok movement in the water!).
• Kick - not bad to start, but my ankle in my upkick on the breathing side is not flexing enough. Using flippers to work on that.
• Breathing - bilateral only. Work on it.
• Head - not rotating enough to breath - I'm lifting it (I knew this).
• breath timing - as soon as my opposing hand enters the water, start rotating my head to breath - and turn, don't lift it.
• stroke rythym - 2-4 kick to each stroke.
• Workouts: catch-ups, fists, work on each area above, one at a time when I go to the pool. Using flippers and paddles to train. Can work on some speed, but that's not super-important. Should spend 20-25% of my swim time on kicking with board and flippers. Flippers help get flexibility.
• I think I have some work to do