My last couple of swims have been more like struggles...the breathing has been off, my heart rate is elevated after just a lap or two, and I generally feel "off".

Last night, a woman commented to me that I am "fishtailing" while I swim. She said that I should focus on "stretching out" in the water and spearing the gliding arm forward, and that this will help coordinate my hip motion with my shoulders, improving body roll. It seemed to help when I tried it.... (I'm really glad that she said something to me....I need all of the help that I can get, and that includes observations of the things that I'm not sensing on my own.)

Does this make sense? What causes fishtailing, and what can I do to work at it? I really need to have a good swim soon in order to keep my motivation up!

Thanks in advance!