I've been wandering around on swim.ee site and I saw a few breaststroke technique videos, usually shots from elite breaststrokers.
A lot of the videos had the phrase "force transfer" in it, such as the one featuring Oleg Lisogor sprinting in slow motion, and you can see his back arching and stuff.
So, whatt exactly is force transfer?
My second question is, I've heard some people use the phrase "moving hips forward" when talking about breaststroke. How exactly do you "move your hips forward"?
Former Member
For me breaststroke has become very intricate. I remember when it was the easiest stroke of the four, now you look at styles such as Amanda Beard who seems to throw the water into her chest versus Ed Mosses rolling forward always undulating forward. The stroke for me has become more intricate than fly. The only thing I feel confident about is the breaststroke turn.
I'll be brief.
"Force transfer" is the act of shifting your momentum forward into your recovery, from your back muscles to your fingers. You lift up to breathe, then throw your upper body forward with your arm recovery. In other words, don't rely simply on your hands moving forward to give you forward momentum. Use your back and shoulder muscles.
Forward hips is quite easy. When you lift to breathe, you should be dropping the hips down and forward to create a position for your ankles to lift up to your butt, instead of dropping your knees, which creates more resistance. You can work on this best by kicking without a board. Think of undulating your hips on breaststroke. I used to think it was weird and impossible, but it's not. And you don't have to swim like Amanda Beard to make it work.
I am no expert, but when my breaststroke is working really well, it seems it is because of power from my core and hips in combination. So I don't think it is just hips, but think midsection as well. Someone who is an expert, explain this better, because I can feel it, I just cannot explain it well.
Originally posted by Draconis
1) Regarding the force transfer. Yea I guessed it was a transfer of force :D. However, how do you actually DO it? :D.
The act of force transfer is the action of a Jedi knight being consumed by the dark side and eventually succumbing to the dark force... hence "force transfer".
Okay, thanks a bunch Jeff and SCAQ member.
I still have 2 questions regarding the matter though:
1) Regarding the force transfer. Yea I guessed it was a transfer of force :D. However, how do you actually DO it? How do you "use your back and shoulder muscles" to throw yourself forwards? I'm asking this because the video clips I saw regarding force transfer had the titles of something along the lines of "force transfer BEFORE SINKING" or "force transfer TIMING". So how does one time the transfer before sinking? Thanks a lot.
2) I get the hip movement now, thank you very much. However, wouldn't moving your entire hip forward generate a lot of resistance? Sorry if I'm not visualizing this right, but are you supposed to, in a less exaggerated motion, throw your hip forward like an underwater pelvic thrust, so to speak? Or am I having a TOTALLY wrong visualization of this??
Thanks very much!
BTW, @ SCAQ member, do you have a clip or picture of Moses "rolling forward"? I'm having a hard time visualizing this. I can visualize Amanda Beard's water-into-chest violent body-throw forward quite well though :D.
