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
Early Vertical certainly doesn't mean a rushed stroke, in fact, the setting up of the vertical forearm position is the slowest part of every stroke. After the forearm gets vertical it should make the transition into the power phase where the greatest drag force is applied to the water. From the power phase and into the transition to the completion of the stroke, the hand sculls in toward the midline of the body and into water that isn't as turbulent. The arm stroke of most swimmers has gone from a full extension of the forearm to shorter exit of the hand. I know everyone will be watching more from great swimming from China and like I said. we'll know a lot more about important propulsive cues.
Again, no swimmer in the Olympics waits for their hand to catch the other hand (catch-up stroke) , in any and all events. The hand for nearly every swimmer enters the water as the other is in an EVF or in the power phase. The EVF of each swimmer varies and it is one important variable separating each swimmer. The effective catch is one of the reasons Lezak won. After watching the video of Lezak, his left arm certainly shows a more pronounced EVF on his last stroke to the wall compared to the Frenchmen.
Again, no swimmer in the Olympics waits for their hand to catch the other hand (catch-up stroke)...
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).
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.
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.
i would concur. even at an easy pace as per video above.
The effective catch is one of the reasons Lezak won. After watching the video of Lezak, his left arm certainly shows a more pronounced EVF on his last stroke to the wall compared to the Frenchmen.
Are you intentionally ignoring what I'm posting? Watch the video of Bernard swimming a 50 free. It's very clear that the "dropped elbow" style which you think cost him the race is in fact how he always swims. Lezak didn't beat Bernard because Bernard's stroke fell apart at the end. He beat him because 46.0 is faster than 46.7, although they are both extremely fast. You can't ignore that unless you are selling EVF junk.
I suppose it's because we have different definitions of a catch up stroke. My definition is that the arms aren't 100% diametrically opposed. In other words, one arm catches up to the other since they are not 100% symmetrical. So the hands don't have to touch one another (as they do in drills) to qualify as a catch up stroke.
Here's what I'm talking about: www.youtube.com/watch
Check out the attached picture - Phelps' arms are not at opposite ends of the cycle. His right hand is catching up to his left. That's why I called it a catch up stroke.
This video counters your point or supports mine. When one arm is pulling the other isn't. Phelps does not use a catch up stroke even in this video. I have seen Phelps perform a catch-up stroke swim in a drill series.
www.trinewbies.com/.../tno_swimarticle_14.asp
A definition I found on About.com
Catch-up: to isolate one arm, to practice a long stroke and a long body position. Swum like regular freestyle, except one arm is stationary, always extended When the working arm moves forward and "catches-up" with the stationary arm, they change places.
Tom these guys are blowing smoke because they do not know what a catchup stroke is. They are trying to modify the true explantion of a catchup stroke to suit their explanation. The true explantion is to touch the extended hand then stroke the touched hand through a full cycle and touch the other hand that is still extended.
There were many swimmers dropping elbows. Just think how much better they would have been if they did not drop elbows.
I hope I never do see a top notch swimmer do the catchup stroke in a race.
Question for you George: have you ever seen anyone do that in competition? I certainly haven't, so it isn't real instructive to start a thread noting that no one does this at the Olympics. This would be like starting a thread to tell everyone that, after thorough analysis, no on in Beijing is swimming sidestroke.
