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?
Do you keep your elbow slightly bent even when your arm is fully extended or do you extend and then bend?
See, that's the thing. I don't think you should really extend fully. It's sort of like extending the finish of the pull down past your hips, you just aren't getting much extra propulsion during those last few inches and maybe you should just think about recovering the arm at the hip instead of past it.
Do you keep your elbow slightly bent even when your arm is fully extended or do you extend and then bend?
See, that's the thing. I don't think you should really extend fully. It's sort of like extending the finish of the pull down past your hips, you just aren't getting much extra propulsion during those last few inches and maybe you should just think about recovering the arm at the hip instead of past it.
