Also something else I notice is that the body is not perfectly balanced in the water so it seems. Maybe there are lots of waves skewing the view, but I doubt it. The best swimmers in the world are so balanced that their hips/lower back always have a dry spot on them if that makes sense. I like to think of it as a teeter totter action lean the front in and the back end generally raises up therefore creating less frontal resistance since the hips are more hidden behind the head(which is breaking the surface of the water just a little, just like the rest of the back and hips should be doing).
Just some thoughts, I do understand this is only a drill, just want to help you think about some other ideas!
Good point chance, I myself end up doing that alot when I think about reaching my hand out. Thinking of shrugging the shoulder up for a more straight arm style and bent elbow recovery works. If your using bent elbow recovery thinking of moving the elbow forward while keeping it high can help keep you on your side as well while not getting into the habit of over reaching.
On a side note I was watching my videos of a front view underwater doing freestyle, and I noticed since I was getting alot of whole body rotation with my hips and shoulders I was also getting more frontal resistance due to my hips rotating too far and sort of getting out of the "shield" my rotated shoulders were making. Anyhow just a though that maybe you could explore to learn more about just how much frontal surface area you have exposed through your freestyle technique. Keeping minimal frontal drag can really help you reach new speeds.
Check out some videos of fast swimmers and compare how far their torsos are rotated on their side to how far their hips roll and how in the end it is probably the best way for them to hide their body and minimize frontal surface area through all phases of the stroke!
VH... your strokes are solid. Watch the head dipping below the line and the hands crossing past 11 and 1 o'clock at the top of your stroke. Your strongest out in front of your shoulders, not your head.
Just some thoughts, I do understand this is only a drill, just want to help you think about some other ideas!
On a side note I was watching my videos of a front view underwater doing freestyle, and I noticed since I was getting alot of whole body rotation with my hips and shoulders I was also getting more frontal resistance due to my hips rotating too far and sort of getting out of the "shield" my rotated shoulders were making. Anyhow just a though that maybe you could explore to learn more about just how much frontal surface area you have exposed through your freestyle technique. Keeping minimal frontal drag can really help you reach new speeds.
Check out some videos of fast swimmers and compare how far their torsos are rotated on their side to how far their hips roll and how in the end it is probably the best way for them to hide their body and minimize frontal surface area through all phases of the stroke!