I have been endeavouring to improve my freestyle stroke for some time and am now confused. I am hoping someone may have some advice.
For years I just swam thinking all I had to do was rotate my arms and kick to get to the other end. Once I could get to the other end I began to focus on technique.
I read Terry Laughlin's total immersion aiming to increase stroke length by fully extending the leading arm and practising front quandrant swimming by only commencing the catch and pull when the other arm "caught up" to the leading arm.
I have also been in a technique class however they suggest the leading arm should not be extended but should remain curved as the leading hand enters the water. They suggest the catch and pull should commence as soon as the leading hand enters the water. This is a completely different technique to that explained in Total Immersion.
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.
Regards - John
Parents
Former Member
Originally posted by dead fish
The main reason you see a slight catch up stroke with some elite swimmers is due to the length of the swimmers arms.
The longer the arm the greater distance it has to travel.
Thorpe for example takes about 1.4 seconds to complete the under water portion of his stroke. His recovery is about 6ths of a second, moving through air is much easier than water. He actually has to wait to finish his stroke. So the taller swimmers frequently have a slight pause in the stroke, a longer arm takes longer to complete the stroke.
You rarely see the pause in elite level women. The catch up stroke is a good drill. But really should only be used as a true racing technique for a 6’ft 7’’ knuckle dragger, like Evil Mr. Smith. Most mere mortals should attempt to eliminate the pause, thus avoiding de-acceleration in the stroke. The constant pressure on the water as explained by the Good Mr. Smith is for most swimmers the best advice.
As for T.I. great marketing!
Fish do not swim on their side and neither should you!
I don't think that your explanation for Thorpe's delay is correct, at least from what I've heard him & his coach say. The delay has more to do with his hand dropping down directly after the catch so that the hand and forearm are travelling together at the same basic speed and to strecth out the body. Remeber the hand pulling actually travels very little distance during the stroke. If it travels too far,it is slipping and losing speed. It also has so much to do wiht the efficiency of Thorpe's stroke technique. Efficiency can be learned very well with catch up drills and single arm-stroke drills.
The recovery hand has a greater distance to travel if you slow down considerably. But because of rotation, it is moving with the body. There is a lot of debate about measuring hand speed. I know Councilman and some other coaches, at one, photoed swimmers with a strode light to record hand speed and pull direction (S-curve or straight back). This is the entire argument between TI & Swimming Fastest.
Originally posted by dead fish
The main reason you see a slight catch up stroke with some elite swimmers is due to the length of the swimmers arms.
The longer the arm the greater distance it has to travel.
Thorpe for example takes about 1.4 seconds to complete the under water portion of his stroke. His recovery is about 6ths of a second, moving through air is much easier than water. He actually has to wait to finish his stroke. So the taller swimmers frequently have a slight pause in the stroke, a longer arm takes longer to complete the stroke.
You rarely see the pause in elite level women. The catch up stroke is a good drill. But really should only be used as a true racing technique for a 6’ft 7’’ knuckle dragger, like Evil Mr. Smith. Most mere mortals should attempt to eliminate the pause, thus avoiding de-acceleration in the stroke. The constant pressure on the water as explained by the Good Mr. Smith is for most swimmers the best advice.
As for T.I. great marketing!
Fish do not swim on their side and neither should you!
I don't think that your explanation for Thorpe's delay is correct, at least from what I've heard him & his coach say. The delay has more to do with his hand dropping down directly after the catch so that the hand and forearm are travelling together at the same basic speed and to strecth out the body. Remeber the hand pulling actually travels very little distance during the stroke. If it travels too far,it is slipping and losing speed. It also has so much to do wiht the efficiency of Thorpe's stroke technique. Efficiency can be learned very well with catch up drills and single arm-stroke drills.
The recovery hand has a greater distance to travel if you slow down considerably. But because of rotation, it is moving with the body. There is a lot of debate about measuring hand speed. I know Councilman and some other coaches, at one, photoed swimmers with a strode light to record hand speed and pull direction (S-curve or straight back). This is the entire argument between TI & Swimming Fastest.
