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
Former Member
My Idea of the I stroke is that because we roll our shoulders it is basically the same thing as an S stroke. The major difference is in the optical illusion that Councillman told every one about. What the eye saw above the water was a huge S then others exagerated the S.
If we stood on the floor and did not roll the body and shoulders you will see an extreme "S" if you demonstrate the pull from entry to catch to finish.
In 1954, 55, 56 Councillman and I had a few conversations regarding the bending of the arm from the catch to the finish. We met the first time in 1954 at Watertown NY.
