Use Bobbing to Get Breathing Right During freestyle

Different opinions on this.  Here is my take.  James Counsilman in his book ‘The New Science of Swimming’ says to place your hairline (if you have one) at the edge of the water.  So, you are not looking directly down but no too high either. 

When you are moving this allows a wave to be created around your head.  A concave space where you can take a breath.  In this way you don’t have to lift your head.  Any up and down motion of your head will affect your body.  Putting it out of alignment, creating more drag. 

With your head at the right angle, it takes only a bit of a turn. Making sure that you have let your breath out while your face is in the water.  So that you only have to breath in while turning your head. 

Having the proper and adequate body rotation helps hugely with this as well. 

Bobbing: Cutting back the Gradient

The above for someone that swims fairly well.  Some of you might still be learning. Even to the point of having trouble keeping your head in the water.  First thing always is to have goggles that fit and are comfortable. 

When we were kids we learned to breath properly by bobbing.  If you are having a heck of a time try this.  Stand in the shallow end and very slowly bob up and down.  Take a breath in.  Go under.  While under, let your breath out.  Slowly.  Out of the water - take one breath.   Under to let it out.  Keep repeating this.  You want to do this until you can comfortably do one breath in above water and comfortably let it out under. 

Once that is done more easily do the next step.  Stand in the shallow end at the edge of the pool.  Lean forward 90 degrees with your hands on the edge.  Face in the water.  Do the same thing: turning sideways, breath in.  Then put your face in the water to breath out. One breath in, one breath out.  Steady, slowly.  Until you are comfortable with  this.

Then back to front crawl.  Ideally one, when learning, should do the above two drills for ten minutes before every workout. 

I’m a proficient swimmer and I do basic drills every workout.  Elite swimmers do the same.  One should not be self conscious or embarrassed doing basic, simple drills.