When we look at all the parts of Bruno’s stroke, from fingertips to toes, several things stand out. His head is low. His body rides high on the water. His hips are visible with each rotation of the torso and core. But what REALLY catches our eye is Bruno’s singular focus on driving each hand into full extension…on every single stroke. When Bruno swims slowly, this extension is all he thinks about. And it’s all he NEEDS to think about because it causes his body to rotate, it helps him achieve a horizontal body line, and lets him move forward with minimal effort from the kick and pull. When Bruno picks up the pace, the legs become more active and engaged. But Bruno is still focused intently on driving his fingertips forward. When we freeze-frame at the point of maximum extension, Bruno’s line is beautiful. The line from fingertips to armpit is perfectly level and horizontal. This line extends through the hips and legs all the way to the feet. Bruno seems to have developed a heightened feel for this position and he gets to it as quickly as he can on every arm stroke. Being level like this helps him “sail” through the water. By extending fully out front, the rest of his body levels out and he gets out of his own way. At this increased pace, notice that Bruno’s head is still low and that his hips ride high in the water. At sub-race pace, he works on staying as long and level as possible. While he will breathe very little in a 50-meter race, he works on having a low, efficient breath for his 100-meter races. |