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
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Former Member
I think part of the problem here is one of communication, not physics. Coaches strive to get across to swimmers what they want done and how they want it done- by analogy rather than blackboard proof and one swimmer's response to a successful analogy is another's puzzled look & poorly done drill. I think Terry is trying to describe something that works for him (& others) by analogy rather than set up a kinesiological study.
I agree that an explanation of how it should feel is usually more useful than getting too technical, my point is that using technical language, such as referring to potential energy due to a raised shoulder, is counterproductive if it isn't correct. Sorry to be pedantic, I found the followup explanation much more illuminating. And I am trying to apply this stuff to my own swimming so I am grateful for Terry's ongoing participation on the forums.
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Former Member
I think part of the problem here is one of communication, not physics. Coaches strive to get across to swimmers what they want done and how they want it done- by analogy rather than blackboard proof and one swimmer's response to a successful analogy is another's puzzled look & poorly done drill. I think Terry is trying to describe something that works for him (& others) by analogy rather than set up a kinesiological study.
I agree that an explanation of how it should feel is usually more useful than getting too technical, my point is that using technical language, such as referring to potential energy due to a raised shoulder, is counterproductive if it isn't correct. Sorry to be pedantic, I found the followup explanation much more illuminating. And I am trying to apply this stuff to my own swimming so I am grateful for Terry's ongoing participation on the forums.
