I have 2 questions for the group. 1) has anyone ever experienced fatigue/tightness of one stroking arm, while the other side seems to be relaxed/loose? My left arm seems to get tight and my upper back muscles seem to tighten from time to time when I swim freestyle...not all the time but enough to make me wonder why.
Any thoughts/suggestions?
2) This has been a topic of debate with a friend of mine and myself. He believes that a person should slip their hand back into the water fairly soon as the recovering hand passes the head and drive it to the catch position through the water.
I use to be a believer in this until the last year or so, when I finally realized that it is more difficult to stay relaxed. I am starting to think the recovering arm should enter farther down the pool.
What do you all think? Soon as it passes the head or farther out over the water?
Thanks,
John
Parents
Former Member
Skip, I think your analysis neglects to take the center of buoyancy into account, when the arm is above the shoulder it is in front of the center of buoyancy so the weight of the arm will create a moment around the center of buoyancy that will lower the head and lift the legs. I would also guess that the buoyancy/weight effects would be smaller than the hydrodynamic effects of the hand moving through the water.
My guess would be that how you enter your arm affects how you rotate your body side to side more than how your body sits in the water. If you do a full extension before your hand enters the arm won't contribute as much to your body roll.
Skip, I think your analysis neglects to take the center of buoyancy into account, when the arm is above the shoulder it is in front of the center of buoyancy so the weight of the arm will create a moment around the center of buoyancy that will lower the head and lift the legs. I would also guess that the buoyancy/weight effects would be smaller than the hydrodynamic effects of the hand moving through the water.
My guess would be that how you enter your arm affects how you rotate your body side to side more than how your body sits in the water. If you do a full extension before your hand enters the arm won't contribute as much to your body roll.
