Are shoulder injuries due solely to improper stroke mechanics

Are shoulder injuries due solely to improper stroke mechanics? Can we avoid all pain using perfect technique? Can we throw away the ice pack forever? Or can shoulder pain be caused by other factors as well? Vote if you have an opinion. No absolutely not. Swimming, like any other sport discipline, is subject to physical limitation constraints. Some of these constraints are shared by most human being. While others will apply only (or more) to certain individuals. If I could teach all swimmers to swim using Hackett's step arm angle (upon catch), chances are that many would develop shoulder or elbow injuries even if his technique is very often quoted as being perfect. That is why, well over *good* or *bad* technique consideration, there's *good or bad for one given one's own physical constraints* When you think about it. The goal in swimming is to increase distance per stroke (IOW pressure on various key points of the stroke) and stroke rate (IOW even more pressure on various key points of the stroke). I can easily understand how this may upset various body parts that see the amount of stress (generated by this accute pressure) increase day by day. That's why, logically speaking, it's probably smarter to cut on drag resistance before increasing pressure put on the limbs (especially during the catch).

Are shoulder injuries due solely to improper stroke mechanics? Can we avoid all pain using perfect technique? Can we throw away the ice pack forever? Or can shoulder pain be caused by other factors as well? Vote if you have an opinion. No absolutely not. Swimming, like any other sport discipline, is subject to physical limitation constraints. Some of these constraints are shared by most human being. While others will apply only (or more) to certain individuals. If I could teach all swimmers to swim using Hackett's step arm angle (upon catch), chances are that many would develop shoulder or elbow injuries even if his technique is very often quoted as being perfect. That is why, well over *good* or *bad* technique consideration, there's *good or bad for one given one's own physical constraints* When you think about it. The goal in swimming is to increase distance per stroke (IOW pressure on various key points of the stroke) and stroke rate (IOW even more pressure on various key points of the stroke). I can easily understand how this may upset various body parts that see the amount of stress (generated by this accute pressure) increase day by day. That's why, logically speaking, it's probably smarter to cut on drag resistance before increasing pressure put on the limbs (especially during the catch).