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 don't think so, we are rapidly approaching the point where we can get an accurate three dimensional model of a swimmer's stroke, when we get there we can close the loop and test our theories against empirical evidence instead of just arguing. I.e. we can start being scientific. The facilities already exist for this in a few places but the cost will start to come down very rapidly in the near future.
That's an exciting prospect. I hope I'm around to try it out.
I don't think so, we are rapidly approaching the point where we can get an accurate three dimensional model of a swimmer's stroke, when we get there we can close the loop and test our theories against empirical evidence instead of just arguing. I.e. we can start being scientific. The facilities already exist for this in a few places but the cost will start to come down very rapidly in the near future.
That's an exciting prospect. I hope I'm around to try it out.
