Hi. I am confused about the high elbow position for freestyle. I've heard people say that the high elbow allows you to use your more powerful lats instead of puny arm muscles. However, I can't seem to get this position that allows me to use my lats. Simply, when I pull in freestyle, even with my elbow close to the surface, I don't feel like I'm using my lats a lot.
So, what IS the high elbow position, and how does it allow you to use your lats?
Thanks.
Former Member
To me, high elbow is not about it's distance from the surface. It's about being high in relation to your forearm. A near vertical forearm is the idea.
Anyhow, I also don't feel a great load being placed upon my lats...but maybe that is the point. They are a large enough muscle group that the load is not sufficient to cause immeidate fatigue. Most of the fatigue I experience is in my triceps (when I concentrate on long strokes) and shoulder muscles after a longer than normal workout.
Originally posted by scyfreestyler
To me, high elbow is not about it's distance from the surface. It's about being high in relation to your forearm. A near vertical forearm is the idea.
I think the key point about high elbows is getting your forearm perpendicular to the direction you are travelling in to maximize the surface area you are using.
If you think of your elbow being high if you are standing on deck doing the motion you will generally get it right. If you have rolled to the side you are pulling on, a "high" elbow may actually be quite low in the water. The opposite of a high elbow is a dropped elbow or leading elbow, where your pull is being led by your elbow with the forarm basically in line with the direction of the pull and therefore not contributing to the surface area you are pulling with.
For the lats, you can try doing pull ups on the side of the pool, if you concentrate on using your lats to pull yourself up you should develop a feel for how to use them in your pull. You use the lats in the pull phase and then your triceps in the push phase. Even just standing and moving your arms from straight overhead down to straight out in front of you you should be able to get a feel for the motions that the lats contribute to.
Also, if you keep your forearm perpendicular to the direction of your pull you will find your elbow is bent more and your hand is in closer to your body. Due to leverage it takes less force at the joint to apply the same force close to the body than it would to apply it at arms length. Compared to a straight arm pull a bent "high" elbow pull will apply force more directly backward instead of having the largely downward force that occurs in the early stages of a straight arm pull.
