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
Then you should consider the possibility that you haven't yet swum your BEST 100 Free.
I've mentioned before that I coached the sprint group at West Point from Sept 96 to March 99 and that we devoted most of our time to learning and practicing movement economy - longer strokes, less reliance on stroke rate, better blending of pull and kick into a harmonious whole.
A moment when it was strikingly clear how much their swimming was being transformed was during the prelim session of the Patriot League championship in Feb 97. Joe Novak anchored the 400 Medley Relay in qualifying. He had done 49.1 the previous year as a plebe in the same meet and did not make any Army relays. He split 43.9. When I calculated his split and read it to the split-taker, the other cadets sitting within earshot exclaimed "No way! That looked too slow!" The next season he split 43.1 to make up a body-length deficit anchoring the free relay against Navy. The Navy swimmer looked like he was going much harder. He also looked like he was standing still.
When you get it right, you might swim a time that will surprise -- maybe even shock -- you, and wonder how you managed to do it without hurting.
I sure hope I haven't swam my fastest 100 free. But as for a not-painful 100? Hmmm... maybe, maybe not. I think a 6-beat kick creates pain and I think a 6-beat kick is essential to a fast 100. My last breakthrough on the 100 free was when I decided to take it out fast, with my 6-beat sprint kick, and trust that I would survive the 2nd 50. I had been stuck at 1:03-high since the age of 13 and that approach took me to a 1:01-high (at the age of 26 or 27). And that hurt.
In addition to trying to train more consistently, I am working on stroke efficiency, turns, etc to get my time lower, but I think there might still be some pain involved in that faster time. And that's just peachy... provided the time improves!! :)
Then you should consider the possibility that you haven't yet swum your BEST 100 Free.
I've mentioned before that I coached the sprint group at West Point from Sept 96 to March 99 and that we devoted most of our time to learning and practicing movement economy - longer strokes, less reliance on stroke rate, better blending of pull and kick into a harmonious whole.
A moment when it was strikingly clear how much their swimming was being transformed was during the prelim session of the Patriot League championship in Feb 97. Joe Novak anchored the 400 Medley Relay in qualifying. He had done 49.1 the previous year as a plebe in the same meet and did not make any Army relays. He split 43.9. When I calculated his split and read it to the split-taker, the other cadets sitting within earshot exclaimed "No way! That looked too slow!" The next season he split 43.1 to make up a body-length deficit anchoring the free relay against Navy. The Navy swimmer looked like he was going much harder. He also looked like he was standing still.
When you get it right, you might swim a time that will surprise -- maybe even shock -- you, and wonder how you managed to do it without hurting.
I sure hope I haven't swam my fastest 100 free. But as for a not-painful 100? Hmmm... maybe, maybe not. I think a 6-beat kick creates pain and I think a 6-beat kick is essential to a fast 100. My last breakthrough on the 100 free was when I decided to take it out fast, with my 6-beat sprint kick, and trust that I would survive the 2nd 50. I had been stuck at 1:03-high since the age of 13 and that approach took me to a 1:01-high (at the age of 26 or 27). And that hurt.
In addition to trying to train more consistently, I am working on stroke efficiency, turns, etc to get my time lower, but I think there might still be some pain involved in that faster time. And that's just peachy... provided the time improves!! :)
