In this video:
www.youtube.com/watch
Dave Scott talks about four common faults:
head position
overreaching
overextension
dropped elbow
In this video:
www.youtube.com/watch
the videographer analyzes Ian Thorpe's stroke, and while I disagree with much of his analysis it is great slow motion video of Thorpe.
BUT, Thorpe enters his right arm fully extended with the elbow and forearm actually entering the water just before the hand does, see attached video frames. This is exactly what Dave Scott describes as overextension.
I am wondering whether it actually makes any difference how you enter the arm if you are fully extending the arm before starting the catch?
Parents
Former Member
That aside, if you look at 8 swimmers, you'll see 8 different entry points. That's really one of those things that you have to test to see what works best for you.
That's my thinking as well, my point was really that if it works for Ian Thorpe it shouldn't really be considered a fault that needs to be fixed.
I think it's a fault. Just try to put your arm straight out like Thorpe's and then bring it down as in a catch compared with doing the same thing with a slightly bent elbow. I think you'll notice much more power with the elbow slightly bent because you're employing the pecs.
But isn't that something that can happen after the extension rather than before? I'm thinking that if you are going to reach to full extension it doesn't really matter a lot how you get there, what matters is how you bend your elbow coming out of the extension? Do you keep your elbow slightly bent even when your arm is fully extended or do you extend and then bend?
That aside, if you look at 8 swimmers, you'll see 8 different entry points. That's really one of those things that you have to test to see what works best for you.
That's my thinking as well, my point was really that if it works for Ian Thorpe it shouldn't really be considered a fault that needs to be fixed.
I think it's a fault. Just try to put your arm straight out like Thorpe's and then bring it down as in a catch compared with doing the same thing with a slightly bent elbow. I think you'll notice much more power with the elbow slightly bent because you're employing the pecs.
But isn't that something that can happen after the extension rather than before? I'm thinking that if you are going to reach to full extension it doesn't really matter a lot how you get there, what matters is how you bend your elbow coming out of the extension? Do you keep your elbow slightly bent even when your arm is fully extended or do you extend and then bend?
