The catch-up freestyle "the real freestyle"?

I've never seen (underwater video) a catch-up stroke used in freestyle in any meet. I've seen more of a mirror stroke pattern than catch-up. I've been told that during the 800 meter free, Ian Thorpe used a modified catch up but when I look at frame by frame I don't see it. I'm confused when I look at the webstie below that tells me that the catch-up stroke is the way freestyle should be done. Tell me what you think. Coach T. windnseaswim.com/catchup2.html In my humble opinion...no one swims a true catch up style. The intention is to keep the lead hand out in front...for as long as possible...while waiting for the stroking arm to get into the FQ zone. A misconception is that the catch up is taking place under water. In reality the "wet arm" begins pulling as soon as the "dry arm" has made it past the shoulder. It is not at all like the handing off of a baton...in which both arms are out front playing tag with each other. (Even though this is the way we do catch-up drills.) I tell all my kids that the lead arm is a body line extender. By keeping the lead arm momentarily extended up front...drag gets reduced...and they will take less strokes per lap. It works. Grant Hackett has exactly this type of rhythm to his freestyle... Watch his dry arm get into the range of his shoulder...and only then does his wet arm begin pulling back. www.youtube.com/watch

I've never seen (underwater video) a catch-up stroke used in freestyle in any meet. I've seen more of a mirror stroke pattern than catch-up. I've been told that during the 800 meter free, Ian Thorpe used a modified catch up but when I look at frame by frame I don't see it. I'm confused when I look at the webstie below that tells me that the catch-up stroke is the way freestyle should be done. Tell me what you think. Coach T. windnseaswim.com/catchup2.html In my humble opinion...no one swims a true catch up style. The intention is to keep the lead hand out in front...for as long as possible...while waiting for the stroking arm to get into the FQ zone. A misconception is that the catch up is taking place under water. In reality the "wet arm" begins pulling as soon as the "dry arm" has made it past the shoulder. It is not at all like the handing off of a baton...in which both arms are out front playing tag with each other. (Even though this is the way we do catch-up drills.) I tell all my kids that the lead arm is a body line extender. By keeping the lead arm momentarily extended up front...drag gets reduced...and they will take less strokes per lap. It works. Grant Hackett has exactly this type of rhythm to his freestyle... Watch his dry arm get into the range of his shoulder...and only then does his wet arm begin pulling back. www.youtube.com/watch