Hi, I'm new to the board. I've read a lot of posts and think this is a great resource for people. Anyhow, a little background. My 8 year-old son, who has Asperger's syndrome and it's associated errrrr...lack of athleticism, is on the neighborhood swimming team. Surprisingly he really seems to enjoy swimming and gets excited about his improvements. He has improved from a 44 second 25 yard time to 34 seconds in this, his first year. I have never swam competitively but given his interest in swimming, I've developed a similar interest and have been reading about stroke mechanics while watching lots of video of Ian Thorpe and Alexander Popov. Of course I practice it on myself and have become infinitely better. I've been trying to teach my son proper technique as well, with some success. While other kids his age on the team (many more experienced) more or less bully their way through the water faster than him, I don't let him pull as hard as he can or stroke as hard as he can for obvious reasons...so he learns better. He will be taking lessons soon from one of the student coaches, although I'm a little weary about it because they may teach him their own bad habits (not that I'm not, lol). For example, pretty much all the older kids on the team do the classic S-shaped scull.
My question is as follows; I am trying to teach him the high elbow and getting a feel for "hard water". We're also working on timing his hip rotation to use that vertical forearm. As you can imagine, it's difficult for him to rotate the arm and shoulder like that during the stroke, although he can on dry land. I noticed Popov pronating his hand (palm facing out) in the beginning of his catch, which I imagine does 2 things; one, scull a little, and two, get him into the EVF. Is this a pretty standard thing? I don't see Thorpe do it on video, but maybe I'm not seeing it well amid the bubbles. I myself have more or less been able to get a reasonable EVF without pronation, but maybe I should do the same? The second question is do most of you prefer the front quadrant style? Again, Thorpe begins his catch as his recovering arm passes his head and he starts rotating, while Popov begins his catch earlier.
If you could give me advise on these issues, particularly as it pertains to teaching a child, I would be appreciative. Sorry for the lengthy post.
Parents
Former Member
. I noticed Popov pronating his hand (palm facing out) in the beginning of his catch, which I imagine does 2 things; one, scull a little, and two, get him into the EVF. Is this a pretty standard thing? I don't see Thorpe do it on video, but maybe I'm not seeing it well amid the bubbles. I myself have more or less been able to get a reasonable EVF without pronation, but maybe I should do the same?
I can tell you that Popov is very unique in his style and very few swimmers can swimming at your best with that same style, Popov have out-the-world flexibility in his shoulder so he can do things that nearly nobody else can match at his level of performance, if you pay attentions at his hand entry, he start from the mid-line just in front his head, outsweep a little, keeping high elbov position, very very hard to replicate let alone very ineffective if you've not that type of flexibility, moreover you'll slow your arm stroke ,you'll be more slow at the end. popov "draw" a very shallow s-shape form underwater stroke, borrowed from great matt biondi, not the new I-form now so popular. at end Popov is very beautiful to watch but not the swimmer that you want to imitate fully.
Thorpe is about 2 version, the younger Thorpe until early 2003, the older Thoper from early 2003-until retire, the first version use a more hybrid form of I-stroke front-quadrant style, with the hands passing nearly under the body, the second form is more a pure I-stroke, with a shorter stroke, wider entry, a little more flat on the water, hand passing out the body very similar to hackett but a little less extreme.
IMHO the "second version" of Thorpe is the way to go if you're looking for I-form stroke now so popular, on youtube there're a lot of video to watch.
. I noticed Popov pronating his hand (palm facing out) in the beginning of his catch, which I imagine does 2 things; one, scull a little, and two, get him into the EVF. Is this a pretty standard thing? I don't see Thorpe do it on video, but maybe I'm not seeing it well amid the bubbles. I myself have more or less been able to get a reasonable EVF without pronation, but maybe I should do the same?
I can tell you that Popov is very unique in his style and very few swimmers can swimming at your best with that same style, Popov have out-the-world flexibility in his shoulder so he can do things that nearly nobody else can match at his level of performance, if you pay attentions at his hand entry, he start from the mid-line just in front his head, outsweep a little, keeping high elbov position, very very hard to replicate let alone very ineffective if you've not that type of flexibility, moreover you'll slow your arm stroke ,you'll be more slow at the end. popov "draw" a very shallow s-shape form underwater stroke, borrowed from great matt biondi, not the new I-form now so popular. at end Popov is very beautiful to watch but not the swimmer that you want to imitate fully.
Thorpe is about 2 version, the younger Thorpe until early 2003, the older Thoper from early 2003-until retire, the first version use a more hybrid form of I-stroke front-quadrant style, with the hands passing nearly under the body, the second form is more a pure I-stroke, with a shorter stroke, wider entry, a little more flat on the water, hand passing out the body very similar to hackett but a little less extreme.
IMHO the "second version" of Thorpe is the way to go if you're looking for I-form stroke now so popular, on youtube there're a lot of video to watch.
