ok, I've been working on my free stroke quite a bit, but still feel like something's off. My coach said that when done correctly it should feel like my front hand is getting pulled through the water, and that there should not be and resistance felt on that hand.
Well, I still feel resistance most of the time and I'm wondering if I'm leaning on the hand too much, or perhaps my head position is not correct.. Does anyone know what i'm talking about or any ways to correct this?
thanks,
Jeanette.
ps.. we used the stretch cords in practice last night for the first time. It was so much fun! (well at least the coming back from the far wall was) lol.. Has anyone else used these and what do you think of them?
Parents
Former Member
Glenn,
You're very welcome . When the elbow is high in the water, your upper body strength can really come into play. The hand is just a guide to getting a good grip on the water. Many people swim with their hands as the primary focus and not so much their elbow position.
Real power comes from the muscles way up in your arm which are connected to the shoulders and lats as you decribed. If you can imagine wrapping your arms over a water barrel as you move down the pool (or beer barrel)...the elbows will be high, allowing for more force to go into each stroke. Very simply...more leverage means more force can be applied.
It's not like you have to *muscle* your way through the water however. It's very simple physics. The torso connection will ensure that power goes into the stroke. It's very important to roll on each stroke as well, otherwise this connection won't happen like it should. Think about wrapping your arms over barrels and throwing them under and past you at next practice. It works.
Remember that it's just a matter of falling into each stroke with the whole body. Momentum coming from your torso is going to much greater than the simple swishing of hands.
Glenn,
You're very welcome . When the elbow is high in the water, your upper body strength can really come into play. The hand is just a guide to getting a good grip on the water. Many people swim with their hands as the primary focus and not so much their elbow position.
Real power comes from the muscles way up in your arm which are connected to the shoulders and lats as you decribed. If you can imagine wrapping your arms over a water barrel as you move down the pool (or beer barrel)...the elbows will be high, allowing for more force to go into each stroke. Very simply...more leverage means more force can be applied.
It's not like you have to *muscle* your way through the water however. It's very simple physics. The torso connection will ensure that power goes into the stroke. It's very important to roll on each stroke as well, otherwise this connection won't happen like it should. Think about wrapping your arms over barrels and throwing them under and past you at next practice. It works.
Remember that it's just a matter of falling into each stroke with the whole body. Momentum coming from your torso is going to much greater than the simple swishing of hands.
