Read time: 4min.
By Coach Yan Busset
Does your freestyle feel like a battle against the water? You’re pushing, pulling, yet the speed doesn’t follow, leaving you frustrated and wondering what’s going wrong. Here’s the truth: if your rotation is off, you’re missing the secret ingredient that transforms effort into efficiency. Without it, you’re not just losing speed, you’re wasting energy. Imagine swimming with the precision and flow of a kayaker slicing through water. That’s what proper rotation unlocks. And the good news? Fixing it is simpler than you think. Let’s dive into the truth about body rotation and why getting it right changes everything.
1. Rotation Improves Your Reach and Stroke Length
Rotation allows you to stretch further on the front of your stroke. If your shoulders stay flat and horizontal in the water, your reach is limited. Rotation allows you to stretch further on each stroke, increasing your distance per stroke.
This is not a passive movement, it’s an active stretch, like something you’d do in yoga or Pilates. The more you reach, the more energy you can return to your stroke. Always aim to stretch as far forward as possible while maintaining control. Remember, no matter how fast you swim, never compromise the length of your stroke.
2. Rotation Makes You More Hydrodynamic
Good rotation reduces drag, making you more streamlined. Why? Because when you rotate, one shoulder dips into the water while the other rises. This minimizes your frontal area, allowing you to glide through the water with less resistance. Think of it as narrowing your profile to cut through the water more effectively.
3. The Serape Effect: Using Your Core for Extra Power
Rotation isn’t just about extending your reach, it also engages your core muscles to generate power. This is where the Serape Effect comes into play. It refers to a crisscross connection in your body that stores energy like a stretched elastic band and releases it for propulsion. Think of it as turning your body into a slingshot, maximizing every stroke’s power, the more tension you create through rotation, the stronger the energy return.
Even legendary swimmers like Alexander Popov, under the guidance of his coach Gennadi Touretski, relied on rotation as a cornerstone of their technique. Touretski used the “kayak principle” to teach Popov to rotate his shoulders and hips like a kayaker’s paddle stroke, one hand pulls while the other recovers, creating almost continuous propulsion. This method not only maximized Popov’s efficiency but also emphasized the importance of perfect timing and smooth transitions during the stroke. By integrating rotation with proper core engagement, Popov’s technique became a model of swimming efficiency and power, pure poetry in motion.
4. Hip Rotation Completes the Movement
Shoulders often steal the spotlight, but don’t forget about your hips. Rotating your hips clears the way for a full, powerful push at the end of your stroke. This coordination between hips and shoulders doesn’t just add strength, it helps you finish your stroke properly, reducing fatigue and maintaining momentum.
5. Why Rotation Is Crucial in Open Water
For triathletes, shoulder rotation becomes even more important in open water. Choppy water and crowded conditions demand efficiency and adaptability. Rotation helps you maintain momentum, reducing the impact of these challenges. It also ensures you stay streamlined, cutting through the chaos and conserving energy.
6. Rotation Eases Shoulder Tension for Swimmers with Limited Mobility
For swimmers with limited mobility, proper rotation is essential. Without it, bringing the arm back on the front in the air can put lot of tension tension on the shoulder joint. Rotation alleviates this strain, making the stroke smoother and reducing the risk of injury. It’s a game-changer for those who struggle with flexibility.
Body rotation is a pillar of efficient freestyle swimming, offering multiple benefits that directly enhance your technique. Proper rotation allows you to reach further, improving your distance per stroke while reducing drag and making your movement through the water more streamlined. By actively engaging your core through the Serape Effect, you harness additional power, ensuring each stroke is strong and effective.
Rotation also plays a crucial role in maintaining smooth transitions, as hip rotation clears the path for a full, powerful stroke finish. It’s particularly important for those with limited mobility, as it reduces tension on the shoulders, and in open water, where conditions demand adaptability and efficiency.
By mastering rotation, you create a balanced, dynamic freestyle stroke that propels you forward with greater efficiency, less fatigue, and improved control. Incorporate rotation into your training with focus and intent, and watch your swimming transform into a smoother, more powerful experience.
Thank you for reading, and as always, if you have ideas for future blog posts, feel free to send me a DM; I really value your feedback. As always, stay strong, fast, and furious, train hard but smart and see you next week!
Key Points Summary:
Active Stretch: Rotation helps you reach further, improving stroke length and efficiency.
Streamline Your Body: Reducing drag with rotation makes you more hydrodynamic.
Serape Effect: Engage your core muscles to generate extra power and propulsion.
Hips Matter: Proper hip rotation clears the way for a strong stroke finish.
Open Water Adaptation: Rotation is essential for efficiency in waves and currents.
Injury Prevention: Rotation reduces shoulder strain, especially for those with limited mobility.
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