Skills N’ Talents
SNT videos
Couldn’t embed, but useful to watch:
Examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmeItJPZx8c
Examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALW4hcaBokg
Breathing
Brenton Ford “Effortless Swimming – one of the best!
Fares Ksebati
Finland tri coach “speed leaks”
The video analyzes common “speed leaks” in freestyle swimming technique among fit age-group triathletes, using three real examples to identify hidden errors that increase drag and reduce efficiency without obvious symptoms. These issues stem from compensations rather than lack of fitness, and the coach provides targeted fixes applicable to viewers’ own strokes. The analysis emphasizes that speed comes from precise mechanics, not harder effort.
First Speed Leak: Late Breathing Timing
Late breathing causes the head to remain turned too long during the stroke, leading to instability and flared legs that increase frontal drag. When the recovering arm covers the head while it’s still sideways, the feet splay outward underwater, exposing more surface area to water resistance. The fix involves starting the breath earlier by imagining an invisible link between the head and leading hand, allowing completion before the arm passes and restoring leg position.[youtube]
Second Speed Leak: Head Too Low
Keeping the head excessively submerged forces a compensatory lift during breathing, dropping the body angle to about 21 degrees downward and sinking the legs. This creates massive drag from increased exposed surface, despite an initially streamlined position. Correct by maintaining head at forehead-waterline level, looking 1-2 meters ahead with a stable axis, and rotating laterally to the shoulder without lifting—preventing the body from following the head downward.[youtube]
Third Speed Leak: Vertical Arm Force
Arms often follow a half-circle path—pressing down early then up late—wasting power on vertical forces instead of horizontal propulsion, shortening the effective stroke like using a tiny bike chainring. This reduces forward speed despite high pressure sensation, and also disrupts leg position. Remedy by delaying force application: position the hand/forearm horizontally first (accepting brief “lost time”), then push straight back; practice slow single-arm drills with a kickboard to ingrain a flatter, horizontal path.[youtube]
