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.
Former Member
Your point is valid for a short race. That is why there is a much higher stroke rate in the 50. However, your argument doesn't take into account the energy used to maintain a rotary stroke/higher stroke rate. The front quadrant stroke is much more efficient, and in 100m or longer races pays off.
Rebecca Adlington (800 Fr) has one of the best text book EVF's I've seen to date. In any and every event, an Early Vertical Forearm sets your stroke up for speed. It doesn't matter what distance, what stroke, an EVF is critical for swimming speed and at one degree or another, every swimmer in the Olympics shows they have it. Call it a catch if you prefer but technically it means the same thing. Adlington's stroke is mechanically awesome. Timing for critical speed in each stroke has been show over and over again, - when one of the hands is in the power phase the other hand enters the water. The objective of every swimmer sprinter to distance is always the same, the maintenance of peak inertia. The greatest kick in the universe only slows the loss of inertia when one of the arms is not in the peak power phase. The variables of body type, strength, flexibility, endurance and others, will always come into play but maintenance of peak speed is a common one that must be shared by every swimmer. I believe the way Adlington swims is an style that I can teach and everyone else should as well (to sprinters and distance swimmers).
A comparison between two Olympic medalists is not that helpful, as there are a lot of other factors that could be responsible for the tiny time differences (aerobic capacity, foot size, fin-shaped head, etc.). I'm more interested in what all 8 finalists are doing in common (despite their stroke idiosyncrasies), that the 17th+ place swimmers are not doing.
Oddly, until I saw some footage of Becky underwater, I had a great deal of difficulty understanding what EVF really was. Not now! Cheers Tom.
Here's some great video's and pictures too. I show my swimmers these.
Phelps and Thorpe
At approximately 30sec, 48 sec, 1min, and more, you’ll see the hand enter from both Phelps and Thorpe when the opposite hand is in the EVF position and during the power phase.
www.youtube.com/watchwww.youtube.com/watch
Slow motion – You’ll see the forearm in an EVF position as the other hand enters.
www.youtube.com/watch
Grant Hackett – Great EVF and then the hand enters
www.youtube.com/watch
Jason Lezak – The most pronounced EVF of all the competitors who’s hand enters the water while the other is in the EVF position.
www.youtube.com/watch
Ziegler Holds off Laure Manaudou = Awesome looks at when one are is in the EVF position the other enters the water.
www.youtube.com/watch
A picture frame by frame comparison of Thorpe and Hackett
www.svl.ch/.../
A group of friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So the rival florist hired Hugh Mac Taggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to "persuade" them to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their store, saying he'd be back if they didn't close up shop. Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that only Hugh can prevent florist friars.
Rebecca Adlington (800 Fr) has one of the best text book EVF's I've seen to date. In any and every event, an Early Vertical Forearm sets your stroke up for speed. It doesn't matter what distance, what stroke, an EVF is critical for swimming speed and at one degree or another, every swimmer in the Olympics shows they have it. Call it a catch if you prefer but technically it means the same thing. Adlington's stroke is mechanically awesome. Timing for critical speed in each stroke has been show over and over again, - when one of the hands is in the power phase the other hand enters the water. The objective of every swimmer sprinter to distance is always the same, the maintenance of peak inertia. The greatest kick in the universe only slows the loss of inertia when one of the arms is not in the peak power phase. The variables of body type, strength, flexibility, endurance and others, will always come into play but maintenance of peak speed is a common one that must be shared by every swimmer. I believe the way Adlington swims is an style that I can teach and everyone else should as well (to sprinters and distance swimmers).
Oddly, until I saw some footage of Becky underwater, I had a great deal of difficulty understanding what EVF really was. Not now! Cheers Tom.
