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
"Most fish are longest in their front-to-back dimension and narrowest in their side-to-side dimension. The only way humans can achieve the same thing is to swim on their sides."
The narrow frontal profile presented by fish allows
them to efficiently cut through water, however the
water presenting the resistance doesn't care what
orientation the object passing through it has, for
example flat fish also present a low drag shape
to the water,
Rotating all the way over on to your side to
achieve a low drag configuration is one of
the worst mismomers of TI swimming.
Rotation is only necessary for proper positioning
of arms for propulsion and recovery.
Human swimmers can achieve low drag in the horizontal
position by making sure they keep flat, keep the kick
amplitude small and don't let their hips sway from side to side.
"Most fish are longest in their front-to-back dimension and narrowest in their side-to-side dimension. The only way humans can achieve the same thing is to swim on their sides."
The narrow frontal profile presented by fish allows
them to efficiently cut through water, however the
water presenting the resistance doesn't care what
orientation the object passing through it has, for
example flat fish also present a low drag shape
to the water,
Rotating all the way over on to your side to
achieve a low drag configuration is one of
the worst mismomers of TI swimming.
Rotation is only necessary for proper positioning
of arms for propulsion and recovery.
Human swimmers can achieve low drag in the horizontal
position by making sure they keep flat, keep the kick
amplitude small and don't let their hips sway from side to side.
