Freestyle Stroke Question

Terry, Thank you for your reply and suggestions. I will start working on your recommendations tonight. I was struck by what I saw on the swims. The better freestylers had that angle on their entering arms, while swimmers that were less efficient drove their arms straight forward,even scooped them back towards the surface. Looking forward to trying these ideas. Thank You, David

Thank You for your kind words. There was another item I observed. Having read that you want to pierce the water, upon entry, I have attempted to form a straight line from finger tips to elbow. My purpose was to enter the water cleanly. The end result was less than pleasant. My arms always tensed up and when trying to go faster, it felt as though I wouldn't pierce the water but slam the water. I observed that the elite freestylers had more of a relaxed entry. So relaxed that there appears to be a slight bend at the wrist, a bend that makes the wrist looks limp, not straight and rigid. That relaxation looks like it allows the swimmers to enter the water smoother, at faster speeds, instead of slamming the water. That is what I observed. David

I really do not like this word piercing it sounds like you are shooting an arrow into the water. A piercing action to me is an action that violates newtons third law. To quicken your pace all you have to do is roll the shoulders faster.

I am not here to start a war of words between anyone. I am just stating my observations from what I saw the elite do and what I do, then ask for feedback. George, you said to quicken you pace, all you have to do is roll your shoulders faster? Correct? What about the rest of the body? Do the hips/core roll as well or do they stay more stationary? Thank you for your feedback. David

Everthing else will automatically follow suit. When I do this I also breathe faster automatic. Your hand enters and has to get to the finish faster automatic. Your kick gets faster automatic. If the shoulders roll faster everthing is faster.

I enter front quadrant with both hands in front at the same time. I tend to pull back straight without the S movement. I only breathe on the left side. I try and exit with a push with an imaginary thumb stroking my thigh. I am 55 and am not about to do breathing on both sides. I do however "fake" and roll the right shoulder up most of the time. Presently I am doing 33 seconds for the 50 meters short course. Questions: 1- Should I try and do the S (sculling) with my hand and forearms even though risking going past my midline? 2- Should I exit my hand all the way down from the thigh or should I try and exit around the waist as I have read somewhere some swimmers do? 3- Should I try and swim clean and with technique and with a constant kicking motion, even when swimming the 50 meters? In other words will I be faster going all out with fast turnover of arms or is it better to swim as if I were swimming longer, however with an obvious better effort. Thanks, I race the 50 (and 100) tomorrow at 15:00 (3 hours left of GMT) and hope to get answers and use them...billy fanstone

Really the S stroke is actually an I stroke as far as I am concerned. But it is altered in everyway concieveable. I put my hand in on the centerline as I extend the arm, the hand drifts out slightly and down, about 8" off center then the forearm rotates to get the little finger almost directly below the thumb and press back to the center. When I reach the catch I max it, I keep the hand on the center of the line making sure the hand and fore arm precedes (do not let the elbow precede the forearm) the elbow but the elbow is locked, the hand comes close to the body, until I get to the crotch there it extends naturally as the elbow lifts and the hand rolls out. I am sure that others may not like this explanation but it is the best I can do in five minutes.

Thanks George. That is basically what I try and do. To avoid crossing the centerline with my hand I tend to push the whole arms outward and then I start the I movement. This is my right arm. My left arm come straight down and backward due to my "imbalanced" stroke where I favor my right arm as I breathe to the left. By straight I obviously mean with the slight angle at the elbow. On a thread of Ande's there was the advice to make sure and push with your hand backwards towards your thigh. This is where I have a difficulty. I tend to do as you do, and start recovery from the crotch. Thanks, let's see what other will say. You didn't say if I should stick to perfect technique or could I go all out for it in the 50 meter race? billy fanstone

We must roll both shoulders when the head is under water look towards the left wall this may help with the rotation. My stroke for a 50 or 100 was just as long as when I swam a marathon race I just rotated faster. It is too late to worry about tomorrow. I would do a little bilateral breathing in the future or just breathing right one length and breathe left another length which will help with ballance.

I interpret piercing to mean "shape your body to fit through the smallest hole in the water" not "shoot an arrow into the water." When one considers that water is 880 times denser then air and the greatest source of energy consumption is drag, active streamlining makes perfect sense. Thanks for clearing that up Terry. :hug: Making the smallest hole in the water has been in my vocabular for 60 years when I helped teach swimming on Friday nights in Hamilton. All the competitive swimmers in Hamilton would go to the pool and teach large group swimming lessons with our coach Jimmy Thompson. See my coach swimdownhill.com/.../page17.html