Is one supposed to pull differently in freestyle for shorter distances (50/100) vs. middle distance (400,800)?
I have two pulls I have been working on.
Pull A
- feels like I am catching a ton of water
- elbow drops a bit lower
- shoulder fatigues after about 100 m
- difficult to practice with since I get tired
Pull B
- doesn't pull as much water
- more of an aid to body rotation
- can swim longer distances without getting tired
It's hard to get much yardage in when I am doing pull A because I get tired quickly. Just wondering if most people pull differently or if there is something I am doing wrong in my stroke that is wearing me out. Even if I go at a slow pace I will get tired with pull A.
Yes. The Race Club / Gary Hall has a number of good videos (e.g., theraceclub.com/.../). Also, just google recent Olympic results and compare three swimmers:
Nathan Adrian - power sprinter
Mack Horton - one of the most beautiful strokes, in my opinion, and you can see how he varies his kick tempo as the race progresses
Gregorio Paltrinieri - old school, two-beat distance stroke
Yes. The Race Club / Gary Hall has a number of good videos (e.g., theraceclub.com/.../).
Yes, I use all three of the "Gary Hall" described styles. My 50/100 stroke fits the "shoulder driven" description, and is very different from the "hip driven" style I use for 400M/500Y+ races. I don't even breath to the same side (left in a 2-4 pattern for 100 sprint, right every 2 for distance). My 200 stroke is a hybrid. I breath every two to the right like I do for distance, but have a stronger (6-beat) kick than the distance stroke (2 beat), and a bit of a lope with more of a delay on the pull with the left than the right.
