Here's a slightly different version of Nose Up/Nose Down. You're still working on maintaining a horizontal bodyline while breathing, but now the focus is keeping the lead arm stable.
Once you feel good and solid with the eyes down, it’s time to rotate the head to breathing. This is IMMEDIATELY where problems will be shown. Focus ALL of your attention on the lead hand. When you rotate the eyes UP to air, the lead hand CAN NOT MOVE. There should be no pushing down, no sweeping out, no sculling of any kind. When the head rotates up, you may see some slight rotation of the torso, which is fine. Our swimmer is able to rotate the head only with the mouth clearing the water enough for a breath. Keep the kick gentle to avoid creating a false support mechanism. When you initially rotate the head to air, try to keep the head rotated and grab many breaths. Don’t use a quick rotation to air and put the head back down, but rotate to air and HOLD. When you rotate and hold to air, focus your attention back on the lead hand to make sure it’s not moving. Stay extended, stable, and with a rigid lead arm. NO movement of the hand.
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