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
I'd say that most strokes (free) involve "some" sculling, even when they look like perfect EVFs and straight back pulls. As the body or torso rotates, the hand and forearm do a bit of sculling. Otherwise liners (and carriers) would be using paddlewheels ("Showboat" style) instead of screws.
If humans had propellers we would no doubt use them. The science is now in and human hands make lousy propellers. One of the things that was overlooked for years is that human limbs and joints limit the movements we can make and that many movements are simply necessary to position body parts to where they can do some good. As you move your elbow from extended in front to extended behind it will follow an arc relative to your shoulder not a straight line, it's simple geometry. At full extension sideways is the only direction you can move.
Next time someone tells you that swimming propulsion comes primarily from sculls challenge them to a race, they scull and you swim, see who finishes a length first. If you really want to be picky both of you get on a surf board, one of you scull, the other paddle, the result will be similar.
I'd say that most strokes (free) involve "some" sculling, even when they look like perfect EVFs and straight back pulls. As the body or torso rotates, the hand and forearm do a bit of sculling. Otherwise liners (and carriers) would be using paddlewheels ("Showboat" style) instead of screws.
If humans had propellers we would no doubt use them. The science is now in and human hands make lousy propellers. One of the things that was overlooked for years is that human limbs and joints limit the movements we can make and that many movements are simply necessary to position body parts to where they can do some good. As you move your elbow from extended in front to extended behind it will follow an arc relative to your shoulder not a straight line, it's simple geometry. At full extension sideways is the only direction you can move.
Next time someone tells you that swimming propulsion comes primarily from sculls challenge them to a race, they scull and you swim, see who finishes a length first. If you really want to be picky both of you get on a surf board, one of you scull, the other paddle, the result will be similar.
