Hi, I am a new swimmer, just making sure that I get my technique right in the freestyle stroke.
I have been watching videos of elites, and it looks like at the point of entry of the arm extended, the hand stays in that position (barely underwater) for several moments before it moves quickly back to the thigh and out of the water. Is there supposed to be that sort of "pause" before the ballistic motion of swinging the arm back (in the windmill fashion)?
This video has a good example of what I'm talking about - www.youtube.com/watch
Does that look like the right technique overall for the freestyle stroke? It seems kind of off to me.
Also, I guess I don't really understand how to breathe properly. When I turn my head to the side I often suck in water. In the videos of the elite races I can't even see their face come out of the water! How do you get the breath?
Thanks for your help.
Parents
Former Member
That kind of late pull seems to prevail in races > 100m...
I haven't seen that many 50M and 100M freestylers using it. Their pulls begin almost immediately when their hands enter the water it seems? e.g.
You're correct. Most sprinters swim with a rotary stroke.
One arm is always opposite the other. (Not what was seen in the first post.)
Phelps was swimming with a text book front quadrant stroke. The underwater hand doesn't pull back until the recovery arm is in the zone of the shoulder region.
Like a catch up stroke but not quite as pronounced. Thorpe swam that way too.
Nice Phelps video.
That kind of late pull seems to prevail in races > 100m...
I haven't seen that many 50M and 100M freestylers using it. Their pulls begin almost immediately when their hands enter the water it seems? e.g.
You're correct. Most sprinters swim with a rotary stroke.
One arm is always opposite the other. (Not what was seen in the first post.)
Phelps was swimming with a text book front quadrant stroke. The underwater hand doesn't pull back until the recovery arm is in the zone of the shoulder region.
Like a catch up stroke but not quite as pronounced. Thorpe swam that way too.
Nice Phelps video.
