Description
This could be one of the most difficult skills of Freestyle to master. The development of a consistent, sideways breathing action which is in the correct place with the arm rotation cycle.
Breathing to the side can take a long time to be confident enough to master. Not only is the swimmer changing the direction of their head to breathe now, but also the introduction of rhythmical breathing with-in the arm movement, remembering every time to blow bubbles into the water, also as the swimmers head is now more in the water it will effect the swimmers orientation and direction whilst they are swimming (as they no longer look forward).
It is also important that the swimmer doesn’t under or over rotate their head to breathe.
Lesson ideas
Breathing to the side is where we feel that a good recognisable Freestyle stroke develops. Lessons will be mainly technically based as the swimmer develops their basic skills further.
It may be easier for you to start the journey with the swimmer on their tummy and face in the water blowing bubbles at regular intervals before progressing to the next stage.
Again working with a float the swimmers holds with one outstretched hand at the top of the float- resulting in a straight arm and the other arm bent and holding the corner of float for the side the swimmer will breathe too. The bent arm can be called a chicken wing as a bit of fun and as it is bent it creates a triangle for the swimmer to breathe into.
The swimmer practices blowing bubbles for 3, before turning to their chicken arm to breathe in. Once this has been accomplished on both sides the swimmer can move to rotating an arm
Holding the bottom of the float with 2 hands the swimmer blows bubbles and when they need to breathe the swimmer lets go of the hand to the side they wish to breathe, head turns to the side to breathe in at the same time the arm/hand pulls through the water.
Arm recovery is over the water surface and face back in before the hand re-holds the float. This can be done to the same side or alternate sides.
Once the swimmer is competent with knowing at what point they turn their head to breathe in, you can progress to keeping one arm fixed and the other pulling throughout.
Once the swimmer understands what is asked they can attempt to use both arms and unaided.
It is at your discretion if you wish the swimmer to be unilateral or bilateral in which side they breathe to, or how many arm pulls they need to complete per stroke cycle.
