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
Tom, this thread and the other one you started really should be merged. I really don't understand what your argument is about. People (including myself) have stated repeatedly that the EVF at the time the recovery arm enters is front quadrant swimming. Unless people are in EVF behind the shoulder, which would make no sense and would give little propulsion. Front quadrant swimming is in contrast to rotary swimming, where the pulling arm is behind the shoulder by the time the recovery arm enters the water. While rotary strokes give constant propulsion, it seems to me that the drag factor is increased. Are you proposing a rotary stroke?
I don't know who created the name "Front quadrant" swimming. You rotate anytime you swim properly. Second, world class swimmers work hard at keeping their inertia or forward movement constant. Even a great kick like Michael Phelps can only reduce inertia loss (those who kick worse lose more inertia). In order for a kick to increase forward speed the kick would have to create more power than the arms. A style of stroke is only a style if it can be taught. I can teach swimmers how to lay on their arm and wait for the other arm to catch up or the best way to swim and that's to start the other arm when the opposite is in the EVF or propulsive phase. I can teach a swimmer to swim flat (no rotation???) or rotate and that's another style. I can teach a swimmer to catch early or or not and that's another style.
There are enough terms out there screwing swimmers up we don't need to add more mumbo jumbo terms like Front-quadrant swimming to the list. If front quadrant means swimming flat without rotation then say that. Thanks!
Tom, this thread and the other one you started really should be merged. I really don't understand what your argument is about. People (including myself) have stated repeatedly that the EVF at the time the recovery arm enters is front quadrant swimming. Unless people are in EVF behind the shoulder, which would make no sense and would give little propulsion. Front quadrant swimming is in contrast to rotary swimming, where the pulling arm is behind the shoulder by the time the recovery arm enters the water. While rotary strokes give constant propulsion, it seems to me that the drag factor is increased. Are you proposing a rotary stroke?
I don't know who created the name "Front quadrant" swimming. You rotate anytime you swim properly. Second, world class swimmers work hard at keeping their inertia or forward movement constant. Even a great kick like Michael Phelps can only reduce inertia loss (those who kick worse lose more inertia). In order for a kick to increase forward speed the kick would have to create more power than the arms. A style of stroke is only a style if it can be taught. I can teach swimmers how to lay on their arm and wait for the other arm to catch up or the best way to swim and that's to start the other arm when the opposite is in the EVF or propulsive phase. I can teach a swimmer to swim flat (no rotation???) or rotate and that's another style. I can teach a swimmer to catch early or or not and that's another style.
There are enough terms out there screwing swimmers up we don't need to add more mumbo jumbo terms like Front-quadrant swimming to the list. If front quadrant means swimming flat without rotation then say that. Thanks!
