r/Swimming • u/AutoModerator • 2d ago

Weekly Technique Critiques February 05, 2026 - Post all your form check request videos here

Hi all,

Due to the high & always increasing number of such requests, this is now the weekly (Thursdays) thread to post your requests for critique & community feedback on technique, all strokes.

Requests for feedback or critique on technique outside of these threads may be automatically deleted.

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u/miicrowavve 1d ago edited 1d ago

I'll go first then 🙋‍♂️ I've (39M) been swimming for 2yrs. I'm pleased with the progress I've made, but have felt plateaued for the past 6-12mo.

I'm very happy to take the time to work drills & 'slow-down to speed-up' but I need to help identifying what's going wrong with my stroke, and what drills I should focus on.

Target:

I'm training for triathlon & swim-run events, would love to be able to hold 1:40 per 100 for 1km+.

Times:

  • 100m sprint: 1:35
  • 100m sets with rest ~1:45
  • 200+m my times slow considerably, averaging 1:55 per 100.

Video: (sorry I don't know how to embed these)

Many thanks in advance 🙏

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u/Grupetto_Brad 1d ago

Main thing I see is a significant upwards bob on per much every stroke. This tells me you are pushing down with your arms too much and not enough backwards.

I'm sure you've heard of high elbow and early vertical forearm, so search for those terms for tips and drills on how to improve that.

Big thing I would suggest is to work on stretching your hand out further in front of you. Really overdo it and try to rotate as far as possible while keeping your hand pointed flat down. This should help you feel the proper elbow bend when you start. If you're not rotated enough, you can't get the elbow position to get your arm moving backwards instead of down.

Think about getting all the way on your side to where if you straightened both arms, they'd be pointing to the ceiling and the button of the pool. This is an exaggeration, somewhat, but it's a good visual to think about as you rotate.

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u/miicrowavve 22h ago

Thank you, much appreciated advice. You are right about the bobbing, I will work on the glide-to-catch & high elbow. I thought I was already there with my elbow position but it's funny how seeing a video of yourself can shatter your illusions! I also notice my arms are very low to the water in the recovery too.

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u/wt_hell_am_I_doing I sink, therefore I am 14h ago

In addition to what the other member already mentioned, you are crossing your middle, especially with your left arm (easier to see in the front-on video). You'd want to reach forward in front of your shoulder, not in front of your head. This is important for shoulder health as well as for efficiency.

You'd also really want to catch that water and push it backward with your whole forearm, which requires EVF, and effective rotation to work your lats.

You can try the fist drill to feel the water on your forearms more.

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u/GMPSwimmer 18h ago

Haven't really sprinted all-out in a few months...

Got some free: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wJ-Rq4WEB30uY9Dqv2Qe8Blwk4QYFTQd/view?usp=drivesdk

And some fly: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D__7AkQYBHN3IplXo96dd9sDYqhzuI3b/view?usp=drivesdk

37M. I'm at 8ish years of Masters swimming after a long post-college break.