End of Controversy - No catch-up or straight arm catch
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
Former Member
No, but it appears that the recovering arm is entering the water while the other arm is still extended (and not yet in EVF position). This is what some of us are referring to as a catch up (style).
That is exactly what it's not doing (unless you are referring to their last stroke to the wall). No swimmer, not one does a pure catch-up or even an abbreviated one. The hand of even the longest most extended swimmer enters the water while the other is in the EVF position or entering the power phase (after the catch). I know it may look that way but when you watch tonights swimmers one of their arms is clearly out of the water while the other is in an EVF position or catch.
No, but it appears that the recovering arm is entering the water while the other arm is still extended (and not yet in EVF position). This is what some of us are referring to as a catch up (style).
That is exactly what it's not doing (unless you are referring to their last stroke to the wall). No swimmer, not one does a pure catch-up or even an abbreviated one. The hand of even the longest most extended swimmer enters the water while the other is in the EVF position or entering the power phase (after the catch). I know it may look that way but when you watch tonights swimmers one of their arms is clearly out of the water while the other is in an EVF position or catch.
