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
i believe(could be wrong) front quadrant swimming refers to keeping it all in the front , that sounds simplistic. but doc counsilman used to refer to finishing the stoke meaning the umph was at the back(exit), i learned to swim that way, now the "catch" terms are shoulder driven, front quadratant,posture line balance.
i did a masters camp in stanford in 2000 with richard quick and if i remember correctly besides teaching posture, line and balance- they talked about front quadrant keeping -for example- in *** everything in the front. in front of the lungs. power is in the front.
ok i took a shot at explaining it.
do i do it? yeah, now i do.
nobody uses the term "s" in freestyle anymore.
I'm almost sorry I started the post, almost. It's fun to talk about swimming and I think we simply need to stop adding terms to our jargon. If you want to teach someone to breathe on one side or breathe on both you can teach it. You can teach someone to start pulling with an catch or straight arm. To tell someone not to pull when their arms are in front of them (front-quadrant) is silly, everyone who swims has a beginning, a middle, a recovery, and an entry (Four quadrants).
I hope you're enjoying the Olympics!!! Wow!
i believe(could be wrong) front quadrant swimming refers to keeping it all in the front , that sounds simplistic. but doc counsilman used to refer to finishing the stoke meaning the umph was at the back(exit), i learned to swim that way, now the "catch" terms are shoulder driven, front quadratant,posture line balance.
i did a masters camp in stanford in 2000 with richard quick and if i remember correctly besides teaching posture, line and balance- they talked about front quadrant keeping -for example- in *** everything in the front. in front of the lungs. power is in the front.
ok i took a shot at explaining it.
do i do it? yeah, now i do.
nobody uses the term "s" in freestyle anymore.
I'm almost sorry I started the post, almost. It's fun to talk about swimming and I think we simply need to stop adding terms to our jargon. If you want to teach someone to breathe on one side or breathe on both you can teach it. You can teach someone to start pulling with an catch or straight arm. To tell someone not to pull when their arms are in front of them (front-quadrant) is silly, everyone who swims has a beginning, a middle, a recovery, and an entry (Four quadrants).
I hope you're enjoying the Olympics!!! Wow!
