As long as I can remember, every swim instructor and coach has taught me that for freestyle, after recovery, stretch your arm out, hand should enter the water at an angle, with the final stretch (I'm guessing 6" or so) being done beneath the surface. You should always avoid hitting the water flat, where you'd create a large splash.
I started swimming when I was about 4-5 years old, took lessons at a community pool. I started masters in my mid-20s and swam with a variety of teams and many coaches since, including one rather legendary coach, and they all taught the same thing. One coach helped develop paddles for TYR that aid in this.
I was recently told that my hand entry is (in no uncertain terms), "wrong." I should be stretching my arm fully out prior to entry, then slapping the water and beginning my pull.
This goes against everything I've ever been taught.
So is my technique wrong?
Not that I do many, but if I swim freestyle in a meet would I get a DQ?
It was my understanding that one could do nearly anything for freestyle, short of pushing off the bottom or walking. Heck, I could swim doggy paddle or sidestroke if I wanted to (I wouldn't want to throw off meet timing).
I've done many open water swims, including several this year, and I definitely did not receive a DQ. I saw a variety of swim styles, most seemed to swim about the same way that I do.
If this is a matter of style, then that's fine. I see some people doing dolphin kicks for their breaststroke; I won't, and I've never received a DQ for that. I swim mostly just to keep in shape and train for open water swimming. I don't really care too much for speed (of course it is nice to get faster, but it isn't the end all/be all for me).
I would be concerned if I'd hurt myself by doing something wrong.
Appreciate any thoughts.
Hey there Tim. One of my coaches helped me work to change my hand entry this spring because my pull was off. My hands did more of a thumb entry and it was causing me to have a cross over a bit. To get away from this, for about a 3-4 weeks, he had me slap my hand on the water ahead of me in order to force a different feel and get away from the cross over. Once it became habit, we worked on the entry a bit more which now is a very slight outward turn of the hand (pinkie/ring finger entry) and more straight. In this change, it's also helped to force me to a longer reach and roll under the water on entry. My shoulder/lat haven't given me any troubles since we worked out the entry, even with the increased mileage in training. To me, it's kind of strange that s/he wants you to reach before the entry. Hmm...
And on the other question, freestyle is just that in a meet. You're free to do just about anything. There was an article somewhere here this week, maybe in the blogs, that talks about what can be done on a freestyle race.
- Kari
Hey there Tim. One of my coaches helped me work to change my hand entry this spring because my pull was off. My hands did more of a thumb entry and it was causing me to have a cross over a bit. To get away from this, for about a 3-4 weeks, he had me slap my hand on the water ahead of me in order to force a different feel and get away from the cross over. Once it became habit, we worked on the entry a bit more which now is a very slight outward turn of the hand (pinkie/ring finger entry) and more straight. In this change, it's also helped to force me to a longer reach and roll under the water on entry. My shoulder/lat haven't given me any troubles since we worked out the entry, even with the increased mileage in training. To me, it's kind of strange that s/he wants you to reach before the entry. Hmm...
And on the other question, freestyle is just that in a meet. You're free to do just about anything. There was an article somewhere here this week, maybe in the blogs, that talks about what can be done on a freestyle race.
- Kari
