Freestyle Swimming Stroke

Originally posted by Johnathon I have been endeavouring to improve my freestyle stroke for some time and am now confused. I am hoping someone may have some advice.... I understand there are different techniques and suspect it is a matter of identifying what works best for the individual. I would be interested in other swimmers views and which technique they prefer.... Sounds like you are on the right track to me. Endeavor, and understanding of differences, will take you a long way. I agree with the bit about feeling the water, that is my main approach. Find the path of least/most resistance (see my web). The best article I've seen on front quadrant swimming is posted in the USMS technique section: Swimming in Circles , by Coach Emmett Hines. The "Strokes" category at Coach Hines' site also includes articles on stroke count, etc. I discovered recently that I've been doing front quadrant swimming in free long before I even knew what it was. Thoughts on the Crawl Stroke, by Marshall Adams is somewhat lengthy (much of which is too technical for me), but it includes a breakdown of Ian Thorp's technique. The single most fascinating nugget from this article for me is how long (1/3 of his total stroke cycle) that Ian takes to position his arm for the pull. This illustrates the slight pause in the front end of the stroke referred to earlier in this thread. I tend to do a lot of slowed down practice so that I can concentrate more on technique. Swimming Faster by Swimming Slowly, By Terry Laughlin illustrates this concept pretty well. My recovery is smooth and relaxed, with a very clean entry (i.e. little or no splash). It amazes me how many swimmers (especially guys) "attack" the water on entry. I can see this as a necessity when doing a sprint, but these people are swimming 100's of yards at a time (apparently training for triathlons). The thrash & splash technique I see a lot of folks using seems like a total waste of energy to me, especially on long distances. One exercise I occasionally practice is this: As I finish my pull I brush my thumb against my thigh. I try to see how far down I can touch while still maintaining proper (straight) spinal alignment. By this time my front arm is fully extended, with the leading shoulder thrust forward, and the trailing shoulder stretched back. I can get a good stretch from this leading arm all down my side (including lats and ribcage, much like the positioning for the catch in Butterfly). The key is to not over compensate and get the spine out of alignment, otherwise you start to wiggle and begin to loose your streamlining. I hear a lot of talk these days about "high elbows" on the recovery. While this is great, I watch folks sometimes and it seems they are missing the point and not lengthening their stroke. If you start your recovery by exiting the water elbow first you can't help be get the desired high elbow effect. By finishing your stroke completely, the elbow 1st recovery technique pretty much comes naturally. The elbow 1st recovery provides a really clean exit from the water. The arm is already against the side of the body, so there is less resistance to lift it. Combine this action with a smooth, relaxed entry and you get a "no splash" stroke. Swimmers who use this technique are going a LOT faster than they look to be going. I tend to enter the water with just a slight bend in the elbow (this picture on my web is a good illustration). I finish straightening the arm under the water as I begin the stretch, and the positioning of my shoulders, prior to the recovery (and the catch). If you look carefully at this image you will note that my pull arm is about 45º from the surface of the water and still in front of me (i.e. "front quadrant swimming"). Also, I'm motoring along pretty well here (at least for me anyway), without making big waves. For my entry I still occasionally use this idea: Imagine a hoop directly in front of you as a target. Try to put your arm through the hoop as your arm enters the water. Vary the size of the hoop, its distance from you, and its depth, until you find a location that is right for you. This suggestion given to me back in the early 70's (when I was in my early teens) by a school chum who was on a local team. I've copied most of this post to a new "Free" section on my web. Check it out if you want to see more images.

Originally posted by Johnathon I have been endeavouring to improve my freestyle stroke for some time and am now confused. I am hoping someone may have some advice.... I understand there are different techniques and suspect it is a matter of identifying what works best for the individual. I would be interested in other swimmers views and which technique they prefer.... Sounds like you are on the right track to me. Endeavor, and understanding of differences, will take you a long way. I agree with the bit about feeling the water, that is my main approach. Find the path of least/most resistance (see my web). The best article I've seen on front quadrant swimming is posted in the USMS technique section: Swimming in Circles , by Coach Emmett Hines. The "Strokes" category at Coach Hines' site also includes articles on stroke count, etc. I discovered recently that I've been doing front quadrant swimming in free long before I even knew what it was. Thoughts on the Crawl Stroke, by Marshall Adams is somewhat lengthy (much of which is too technical for me), but it includes a breakdown of Ian Thorp's technique. The single most fascinating nugget from this article for me is how long (1/3 of his total stroke cycle) that Ian takes to position his arm for the pull. This illustrates the slight pause in the front end of the stroke referred to earlier in this thread. I tend to do a lot of slowed down practice so that I can concentrate more on technique. Swimming Faster by Swimming Slowly, By Terry Laughlin illustrates this concept pretty well. My recovery is smooth and relaxed, with a very clean entry (i.e. little or no splash). It amazes me how many swimmers (especially guys) "attack" the water on entry. I can see this as a necessity when doing a sprint, but these people are swimming 100's of yards at a time (apparently training for triathlons). The thrash & splash technique I see a lot of folks using seems like a total waste of energy to me, especially on long distances. One exercise I occasionally practice is this: As I finish my pull I brush my thumb against my thigh. I try to see how far down I can touch while still maintaining proper (straight) spinal alignment. By this time my front arm is fully extended, with the leading shoulder thrust forward, and the trailing shoulder stretched back. I can get a good stretch from this leading arm all down my side (including lats and ribcage, much like the positioning for the catch in Butterfly). The key is to not over compensate and get the spine out of alignment, otherwise you start to wiggle and begin to loose your streamlining. I hear a lot of talk these days about "high elbows" on the recovery. While this is great, I watch folks sometimes and it seems they are missing the point and not lengthening their stroke. If you start your recovery by exiting the water elbow first you can't help be get the desired high elbow effect. By finishing your stroke completely, the elbow 1st recovery technique pretty much comes naturally. The elbow 1st recovery provides a really clean exit from the water. The arm is already against the side of the body, so there is less resistance to lift it. Combine this action with a smooth, relaxed entry and you get a "no splash" stroke. Swimmers who use this technique are going a LOT faster than they look to be going. I tend to enter the water with just a slight bend in the elbow (this picture on my web is a good illustration). I finish straightening the arm under the water as I begin the stretch, and the positioning of my shoulders, prior to the recovery (and the catch). If you look carefully at this image you will note that my pull arm is about 45º from the surface of the water and still in front of me (i.e. "front quadrant swimming"). Also, I'm motoring along pretty well here (at least for me anyway), without making big waves. For my entry I still occasionally use this idea: Imagine a hoop directly in front of you as a target. Try to put your arm through the hoop as your arm enters the water. Vary the size of the hoop, its distance from you, and its depth, until you find a location that is right for you. This suggestion given to me back in the early 70's (when I was in my early teens) by a school chum who was on a local team. I've copied most of this post to a new "Free" section on my web. Check it out if you want to see more images.