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
Oops, I forgot to say that the study I am thinking of dealt with the "kinetic chain" as it relates to butterfly/undulation/dolphin kick. Sometimes people talk about starting the undulation in your chest and "whipping" a wave down through your body to your feet, if I recall correctly the study showed that the physics of this in an aquatic medium don't work. Now wait a second (not aggressive, I'm curently smiling).
Now don't tell me power comes solely from the ankles.
It at least come from the knee extention, but what about the hip movement. When we say butterfly kicking requires good abs, does some of this power ultimately getting transmitted to the feet indirectly as well? Where's the limit and who can tell?
I know that rotation works for me, I'm just not ready to buy the statement that the "power is coming from the hips" Me neither I'm like you on that. Probably a sound advice from a pedagogical perspective, but I can't feel it that much.
And you know, I don't buy this counter argument according to which being in a liquid environment prevent for such a transfert. I just think that being "anchored" by the hands, it makes more sense (at least to me) to focus more on shoulder rotation rather than hips.
I donno how the proponents of hip rotation explain this phenomenon. But as a shoulder proponent my take is very simple. I use upward body rotation to help bringing the arm backward. On the upsweep, the shoulder's position goes from deep to far back. Just there I think we benefit from rotation. don't you think?
I suspect the power is coming from the lats. Me too. Power comes from there, and fatigue comes from everywhere.
Oops, I forgot to say that the study I am thinking of dealt with the "kinetic chain" as it relates to butterfly/undulation/dolphin kick. Sometimes people talk about starting the undulation in your chest and "whipping" a wave down through your body to your feet, if I recall correctly the study showed that the physics of this in an aquatic medium don't work. Now wait a second (not aggressive, I'm curently smiling).
Now don't tell me power comes solely from the ankles.
It at least come from the knee extention, but what about the hip movement. When we say butterfly kicking requires good abs, does some of this power ultimately getting transmitted to the feet indirectly as well? Where's the limit and who can tell?
I know that rotation works for me, I'm just not ready to buy the statement that the "power is coming from the hips" Me neither I'm like you on that. Probably a sound advice from a pedagogical perspective, but I can't feel it that much.
And you know, I don't buy this counter argument according to which being in a liquid environment prevent for such a transfert. I just think that being "anchored" by the hands, it makes more sense (at least to me) to focus more on shoulder rotation rather than hips.
I donno how the proponents of hip rotation explain this phenomenon. But as a shoulder proponent my take is very simple. I use upward body rotation to help bringing the arm backward. On the upsweep, the shoulder's position goes from deep to far back. Just there I think we benefit from rotation. don't you think?
I suspect the power is coming from the lats. Me too. Power comes from there, and fatigue comes from everywhere.
