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
My, my it is getting feisty on this thread.
Terry, you asked about my splits on the 100 free. I will tell you that I have NEVER split closer than 2.83 between the 1st 50 and the last 50 (that split was my fastest 100 free: 29.48, 1:01.79). My worst split was 4.63 (this was my SECOND fastest 100 free: 28.64, 1:01.91). That worst split was my last event on the last day of 2003 Nationals... and I figured why not take it out and just see what happens out of curiousity. I believe if this had been my first event of Nationals, I would have gone a lot faster with the same take it out philosophy. Before I broke 1:03, I used to go out smooth (without a 6 beat kick) in 30, come back in 33. Still a 3 sec differential. Last season, being undertrained and post-partum, I went 1:02.16 (out in 29.61, differential of 2.94). Still 3 seconds.
My 50 is 27.8. That 28.64 is not an unreasonable first 50 time. All my best 50 times and my best 100 times have been with a strong 6 beat kick.
Splits and discussion aside, I believe it is possible to improve my 100 time. However, in order to do that, the key thing (for me) is GET MY BUTT TO THE POOL! Gull posted something to the effect that you can work on technique but you still have to put in the time and hard work in the pool. (Sorry I didn't go back and find the quote, Gull, but I think that was the gist of it.) Until I bust my butt in practice, with the 6 beat kick that I plan to use during a race, the times aren't going to improve. No, I won't throw technique out... quite the opposite. I'm going to work on the technique I want to use while sprinting. The test will be next spring.
My, my it is getting feisty on this thread.
Terry, you asked about my splits on the 100 free. I will tell you that I have NEVER split closer than 2.83 between the 1st 50 and the last 50 (that split was my fastest 100 free: 29.48, 1:01.79). My worst split was 4.63 (this was my SECOND fastest 100 free: 28.64, 1:01.91). That worst split was my last event on the last day of 2003 Nationals... and I figured why not take it out and just see what happens out of curiousity. I believe if this had been my first event of Nationals, I would have gone a lot faster with the same take it out philosophy. Before I broke 1:03, I used to go out smooth (without a 6 beat kick) in 30, come back in 33. Still a 3 sec differential. Last season, being undertrained and post-partum, I went 1:02.16 (out in 29.61, differential of 2.94). Still 3 seconds.
My 50 is 27.8. That 28.64 is not an unreasonable first 50 time. All my best 50 times and my best 100 times have been with a strong 6 beat kick.
Splits and discussion aside, I believe it is possible to improve my 100 time. However, in order to do that, the key thing (for me) is GET MY BUTT TO THE POOL! Gull posted something to the effect that you can work on technique but you still have to put in the time and hard work in the pool. (Sorry I didn't go back and find the quote, Gull, but I think that was the gist of it.) Until I bust my butt in practice, with the 6 beat kick that I plan to use during a race, the times aren't going to improve. No, I won't throw technique out... quite the opposite. I'm going to work on the technique I want to use while sprinting. The test will be next spring.
