End of Controversy - No catch-up or straight arm catch

Former Member
Former Member
I know everyone has been watching the Olympics and if anyone sees someone (in any stroke and at any distance) not showing an Early Vertical Forearm (EVF) stroke please point it out to me. In the men’s 400 Fr Relay, Lezak’s better EVF stroke helped him touch the wall before Bernard who dropped his elbows in the last few strokes. These Olympic Games should put to rest the controversy of the catch-up stroke (never once performed by any freestyler in these Olympics). So what you see someone do in a drill (catch-up) is not done in competitive swims when it counts!! The high elbow at the front quadrant of every stroke is so pronounced that every lay-on-a-straight-arm proponent has to become a convert (I know it’s not ever going to happen). I’m anxious to hear the rationalizations and support from the opposition. If you’re watching with your eyes open, there’s no catch-up and no straight-arm catch - PERIOD!!! If you want to make significant gains in your swimming focus on improving your Early Vertical Forearm technique. Improving your EVF should take about 6 to 8 weeks and when that becomes better you should focus on improving a good streamlined position by spending as much time as possible on your side while making sure that your catch begins early. Of course athleticism goes hand in hand with improvement. But you get my drift. Nuff-said.
Parents
  • The definition of a catch up stroke vs. a mirror image stroke needs to be covered. In a catch-up stroke, one arm is in front while the other arm meets it, in a mirror image stroke when one arm is ending the power phase (middle of the stroke) the other arm is entering the water. By that strict a definition then you are probably right. No one is truly meeting the other arm out front before beginning the pull. However, other than the sprinters, most swimmers aren't using a mirror-image stroke either. From the swimmers I've seen in events 200 meters and over most use a front-quadrant type stroke, and, again, I don't see why a front -quadrant stroke precludes an EVF stroke. In fact I believe the two are generally complimentary.
Reply
  • The definition of a catch up stroke vs. a mirror image stroke needs to be covered. In a catch-up stroke, one arm is in front while the other arm meets it, in a mirror image stroke when one arm is ending the power phase (middle of the stroke) the other arm is entering the water. By that strict a definition then you are probably right. No one is truly meeting the other arm out front before beginning the pull. However, other than the sprinters, most swimmers aren't using a mirror-image stroke either. From the swimmers I've seen in events 200 meters and over most use a front-quadrant type stroke, and, again, I don't see why a front -quadrant stroke precludes an EVF stroke. In fact I believe the two are generally complimentary.
Children
No Data