I experienced my first fly-breast connection glimmer earlier this week.
Theorectically, I have long understood how these two strokes are similar. Ever since submerging your head underwater was no longer considered a rule-breaker, I have been able to see how butterfly and breast share some elements.
The actual physical click between the two strokes had yet to come for me though. It’s been a particularly vexing issue over the years. Fly has always been my super power; breast has always been my Achilles Heel. If these two strokes were now so freakin’ similar, why couldn’t I get my body to find the link between the two?!? Even my mom, years ago, assumed my breast would drastically improve with the rule change because she too saw how the “new” breast was more like fly.
But no, I spent years (decades?) feeling like a breaststroke slug. I have yet to race a 200 breast because I’ve avoided it like the plague. To me, the 200 breast is the hardest event. And I swim the grudge-events such as the 400 IM, 200 fly, 1500 free, etc. all the time.
Thanks to Coach Mark and his drills however, I had my first moments of fly-breast connection this past Tuesday at practice. The magic drill sequence that did it? 1) With fins, breastroke pull with fly kick. 2) With fins, alternate breast and fly pull with fly kick.
It was amazing to finally feel the fly-like timing in breast and other similar elements like setting up for the “hinge” phase of each pull. Even more amazing, these new elements stuck with me after I took my fins off and did straight breast.
The other correction that had a huge impact was being told to maintain “high feet” to help keep my stroke hoizontal and thus heading down the lane, not down to the bottom of the pool.
I swam more breast on Tuesday night than I ever had at a practice before. And you know what? I wasn’t wiped out after just one 50, and it was actually fun. Kudos Coach Mark!
Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist