i have been doing more fly than i use to do and my freestyle is feeling stronger, does fly help freestyle or am i just getting stronger
Former Member
Finishing Fly
I was just at a clinic today where they are talking about not pulling your arms through the water all the way, but finishing your pull about 3/4 of the way down.
They were saying that pulling all the way down was the old way, and that most serious flyers are departing from that type of the stroke.
One on the things used/mentioned was Richard Quick video.
WOW! Thats a shocker. Did they say why it was better to not follow through past your hips? I'm curious to the rationale behind it. I was always taught... and I teach.. just the opposite. I'm willing to change if there is a good reason. :confused:
i'm a Friday night flyer.......when the work whistle blows...ive already gone home....ie flyer....seriously fly is so cool...i only do an occasional lap myself;......
Originally posted by swimr4life
WOW! Thats a shocker. Did they say why it was better to not follow through past your hips? I'm curious to the rationale behind it. I was always taught... and I teach.. just the opposite. I'm willing to change if there is a good reason. :confused:
You know that stuff is pretty new to me, so I can't really answer your questions well, as I didn't really retain all of the details yet.
It had something to do with a tradeoff of efficiency vs. the effort invested, if I remember right.
We watched the Richard Quick (Stanford coach) video, that explains a lot more than i can. I believe it's from one of his swim smarter - swim faster series. It's probably best if you get hold of the videos, and secide for yourself if what they're talking about makes sense.
If I remember right, those videos can be rented from the USMS video library.
Beth,
TI is one school of thought that advocates a shorter follow through on fly. The descriptive term used is that when you feel you chest sliding over your hands, karate chop them to the side and start your recovery.
The idea behind this is to emphasize swimming fly with a body wave, and deemphasize muscling through the stroke with your arms. To get a more detailed description of this style, go to the H2Ouston Swim Club web site (www.h2oustonswims.org) in the Articles section, read "Slip Slid'n' Away" and "Vive Le Papillon." I use this style myself, and I find an abbreviated pull and recovery helps me maintain my timing. The body wave dolphin is basically an elaborate one-beat butterfly. With only one "kick" per arm stroke, I find I do not have the time to push my arms all the way back to full extension, and still recover them before my chest presses back in the water.
It is one school of thought. I find it necessary to even think about doing any distance fly. In fact, my goal is to get my stroke good enough to become "that guy" as Emmett describes him in his first article.
Matt
