I finally made it to one of the local coached workouts and all in all it was a pretty positive experience. One of the comments about my stroke was that my hand entered the water in-line with the crown of my head. I was told that it should enter more in line with my shoulder. I've been practicing with this for the past 2 1/2 weeks and it seems to have negatively affected my roll and my stroke count. I can't seem to get a good glide at the end of my stroke, and when I roll, my arm is out away from my head and seems to be creating more drag. Am I missing something here? Was I told partial info? incorrect info? or am I not looking at the problem correctly?
Thanks John
John,
Without seeing your stroke it is impossible to determine what the correction is doing. However, assuming your coach understands stroke mechanics, the coach is in a much better position to work on your stroke.
The information given by your coach is correct; you will be more efficient by entering and catching in-line with your shoulders. It will take time for this to feel comfortable and with any change in technique it takes constant vigilance to make the correction stick.
As for negatively affected my roll and my stroke count, often if you focus too much on one aspect (hand entry) you forget to work on others roll, reach, catch, press, etc. And I’m not sure what you mean by a good glide at the end of your stroke. Typically, freestyle does not have a glide.
Originally posted by Rob Copeland
Typically, freestyle does not have a glide. I would imagine that he is swimming FQS. There is brief period of glide unless you swim with symetrical arms that act like a propeller. I don't start my catch and pull until my recovering arm reaches my ear or somewhere close to that.
Originally posted by 330man
I would imagine that he is swimming FQS. There is brief period of glide unless you swim with symetrical arms that act like a propeller.
I read this occasionally, and I don't understand the reasoning.
Start with these two ideas:
1) During your underwater pull, your hand accelerates as it moves backwards.
2) Your arm recovers over the water quicker than you pull underwater
Even if you start with one arm straight in front and one along side your body, you will always be FQS, without a glide, as long as you are obeying those two principles. (Your arms do not have to stay symmetrical, although they may be opposite during parts of your swimming motion.)
If one of your hands is not stroking to propel you foreward then you are gliding. Imagine you are in your car driving up a slight incline; to simulate the resistance your body creates in the water. If you let off of the accelerator for even a milisecond you are gliding. The engine is still running and producing a small amount of power but for the most part you are gliding and decellerating. Same rules apply in swimming, there is acceleration and decelleration. You continue to kick as one arm recovers and another begins its catch but you are essentially gliding during that period of time, regardless of how short that time period is.
Another gratuitous image from the same video clip: Hoogenband displaying near perfect "tugboat form" (see TI or Hines descriptions of a racing boat that morphs back and forth between race boat and tugboat shape) :
Interesting photos. I have never seen anybody swim like that before now. Perhaps he is swimming a 50m race and as thus altered his stroke. In all of the video I have downloaded from swimfastest.com I have never seen anybody swim like the pictures you posted.
My point is that you can be FQS and still be pulling with at least one arm the whole time (no gliding). You are implying that there *must* be a glide. (I agree there *can* be a glide, especially if you are doing almost-catch-up drill.)
