Hey timm,
Krispy Kremes and Jelly Belly's all the way! A dozen, steamy original glazed please...
This suggestion may sound ridiculously simple, but this has worked for me to simulate the mouthfill wet or dry. My problem was that I had both my epiglottis and soft palate closed or open at the same time. To keep the soft palate in the neutral position and epiglottis closed, this is what I practiced:
1. Pinch you nose and keep it pinched.
2. Inflate your mouth and expand your cheeks and lower your jaw as you would in the water.
3. OK, this is the semi-moronic simplified part - knowing your epiglottis is closed, focus on consciously trying to "relax" your soft palate in this state. The conscious effort is similar to trying to wiggle your ears.
If it all works out, you should feel the air quickly flow to your tubes and to the eardrums and you may even hear/feel a slight pop. You will also feel air flow into your nose and against your pinched fingers.
Once you achieve this state, the trick is to keep it this way the entire dive while using your tongue/cheeks to force the air into the tubes.
