Six Kick and Shark Fin Drill Help
When you're doing a drill like that where you have to balance on your side for a period of time, like shark fin, make sure you're looking down at the bottom the whole time, except for a quick breath. So you pull through take a quick breath, and look back down at the bottom while you are kicking on your side.
Secondly if you're sinking while trying to get balanced you either need to kick harder, or press your shoulders down in order to lift your hips up. Ideally your body position shouldn't change from your normal free, except you will be balancing on one side.
Also you may not be ready for those drills yet. It can take time to get balanced in the water so just be patient and it will come.
Team Planet X Tyros

Thanks. I know I've been looking sideways when I was doing the drill so that may have a bit to do with it.
I hear you MDD and I'll keep working on the core balance issue.
Thanks for the responses.
I've been focusing very closely on my balance in the water recently, especially on the rotation of my hips and body. I've been doing the six kick and shark fin drill a bunch in alternating sets.Often times when I do the kick drill, and especially when I do the shark fin drill, my head is half under water half above water, and my nose will fill up with water. Its really annoying and I need to figure out if its my posture or if there's something else I need to change.
As I make the rotation onto my side, all seems to go well, although sometimes I will end up underwater until I get balanced. Then, as I raise my trailing arm to make the fin, blub blub blub - my nose is full of water. I don't breath it in, but it sure is annoying.
Anyone have that happen and suggest some help?
You might try doing the drill with zoomer fins. It will make it a bit easier to keep the forward propulsion. When breathing, make sure that the forward arm is down...say 45 degree angle.. that will keep your feet up. Turn a little bit more to breathe. You may have to turn your head.
This is a great drill and really teaches you to glide and swim on your side. Make sure that you switch sides every 6-10 kicks to even things out.
Good luck
I second the fins idea it'll help you get your body into position until you can develop the strength/technique to do it without them. Be careful though i have seen countless masters swimmers that have become utterly dependent on their fins to swim, just use them when you are doing drills.
Ston_ar - the notion of looking at the bottom of the pool was the trick. I had been leaving my head "square" with my shoulders before - so my nose was level with the water, and filling up. I kept my face down and I did much better. To be convinced, I even swam several lengths just doing the drill - staying on my side the whole lap with no arm strokes. I managed it pretty well, and I when I started doing the drill in between strokes, I got much more out of it.
Thanks for the feedback!




I've been focusing very closely on my balance in the water recently, especially on the rotation of my hips and body. I've been doing the six kick and shark fin drill a bunch in alternating sets.
Often times when I do the kick drill, and especially when I do the shark fin drill, my head is half under water half above water, and my nose will fill up with water. Its really annoying and I need to figure out if its my posture or if there's something else I need to change.
As I make the rotation onto my side, all seems to go well, although sometimes I will end up underwater until I get balanced. Then, as I raise my trailing arm to make the fin, blub blub blub - my nose is full of water. I don't breath it in, but it sure is annoying.
Anyone have that happen and suggest some help?