s-pull pattern

to learn the "S" patterned stroke on the right side. I was attempting to learn it because I have tennis elbow. Well--after a few weeks of doing the stroke--swinging wide and then coming in close to the body (per a coach)--I'm now beginning to develop a problem on the INSIDE part of my elbow (when you bend it--the part that "disappears"). My sports med doc is less than thrilled needless to say. Have someone show you how to do it--the books won't give the greatest hints AND be careful. If you already suffered from elbow problems--the new stroke can do 1 of 2 things---either eliminate the problem totally OR give you additional elbow problems.

Well, I do not have any elbow problems, so hopefully it won't start any either.As far as the effectivenes of the S-pull, what is the word out there?

Actually the concept is that you are pulling straight back but with good body roll your hand traces an "S" pattern.

Gull 80 is right on!! Current thinking as I understand it is to roll the body and do not try to "make and S".

I went to Doc Counsilman's swim camp as a teenager. He was teaching this decades ago. Remember to keep a high elbow while pulling underwater. My coach just found out that many of our swimmers thought high elbow was for the recovery. If it hurts I'd either stop doing it, or find someone who knows the proper technique and have them watch you underwater. And as they drilled into our heads, "Always Accentuate Arm Acceleration".

Have you ever watched somebody swim using TI techniques? The S-pull works in unison with your core body rotating on each stroke. I swim faster with fewer strokes and maintain a much more relaxed feeling throughout my workout. I originally picked up the four strokes DVD to learn butterfly but I decided to concentrate on freestyle to build up my stamina. totalimmersion.net is worth investigating. EDIT: BTW, the S pull is to create a longer underwater stroke for each hand. The longer each pull the greater distance you will cover with each stroke.