I am trying to improve my freestyle. I have been working on balance,timing,counting strokes.
When watching videos of world classs swimmers, I noticed that on swimmers like Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, that their arm in the water is fully extended(straight) and angled below the corresponding shoulder. It looks as though the arm that is about to catch the water is angled to where it points towards where the pool wall and pool bottom meet. Not pointed directly down but not pointed directly straight out from the shoulder to the wall.
It seems like most of the best freestylers have their extended arms pointed below their bottom shoulder at an angle before the pull. This also appears to only happen once they have finished the rotation to that side.
Has anyone else noticed this or am I way off?
Thanks,
David
Parents
Former Member
As you trap the water with your right hand and forearm, your left side is raised at or above the surface where it has a lot of potential energy. As you spear the left arm forward, that side drives down "catapulting" you past your grip. No muscular force can match that.
I'm confused by this description as it conflicts with my knowledge of physics. Does potential energy really play a significant role here? Is muscular force really outmatched in this situation or is it more a matter of which muscles you are using? Perhaps momentum is involved in the way it is when one "cheats" lifting weights?
:confused:
As you trap the water with your right hand and forearm, your left side is raised at or above the surface where it has a lot of potential energy. As you spear the left arm forward, that side drives down "catapulting" you past your grip. No muscular force can match that.
I'm confused by this description as it conflicts with my knowledge of physics. Does potential energy really play a significant role here? Is muscular force really outmatched in this situation or is it more a matter of which muscles you are using? Perhaps momentum is involved in the way it is when one "cheats" lifting weights?
:confused:
