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
some text from an olympic blog:
Lezak has a "patient catch" even at that speed. He rotates his hips noticeably. Bernard rushes the catch to accommodate his high stroke rate and has little hip rotation.
Stroke counts for final 50
Bernard 42
Lezak 34 a -8 differential!!!
blog.totalimmersion.net/
I can relate to those descriptors and can watch that - thanks. If you were to tell me he was a front-quadrant swimmer, I wouldn't know what the heck you were talking about. Thanks again, a very interesting observation. I believe rushing, how you set-up your stroke is something every swimmer should be conscious of.
Maybe we all interpret front quadrant swimming in a different way. My interpretation is that the stroking arm can be any where from entry to the arm being vertical to the shoulder as the other arm enters.
I prefer my arm one arm is at the start of the catch phase when the other arm enters. It does change a little when I sprint. The arm underwater is further along into the catch phase as the other arm enters.
No two swimmers that I know or see swim exactly alike.
Then again like Old Doc C would say don't forget your finish.
"An interesting note is that Eric Vendt swims the 1500 with basically a catch-up stroke."
Rick DeMont
Freestyle Technique
The Swim Coaching Bible
In this 400 IM, Vendt, during his freestyle he starts his stroke like Phelps and that's when his other hand is in the power phase. Look at the following clip.
www.youtube.com/watch
Such as EVF you mean?
Touche' - I like you!
I know I sometimes upset a few people but hey, it's like being at the dinner table with my family (sometimes we get loud but we alway love each other even when we disagree).
After the Olympics, our USA aquatic guru's will get together and give us some interesting information to gnaw on. I can't wait because it can only help us help ourselves get faster. I constantly tell my swimmers to watch videos of world class swimmers because you can learn a lot about proper stroke mechanics. The coverage on Olympic Swimming has been awesome so far and I love talking about swimming technique and enjoy our bantering. Thanks all!
Lezak has a "patient catch" even at that speed. He rotates his hips noticeably. Bernard rushes the catch to accommodate his high stroke rate and has little hip rotation.
Stroke counts for final 50
Bernard 42
Lezak 34 a -8 differential!!!
There seems to be a bit of an implication here that Bernard's stroke is bad and Lezak's is good because they split 46.73 and 46.06 in this race. It seems to me that the primary flaw in Bernard's swim was that he swam on the lane line giving Lezak the draft of his life. Also, finish your race before looking at the scoreboard. How bad can a stroke be that gets you a 46.73 split? It seems to me that if anything this shows how variable individual strokes can be at the very highest level.
I think we will soon find out who is going to win the 100m.
Lezak finished the relay in the front quadrant his hand was on the wall as Bernard's hand touched the wall, before Lezak took his hand off the wall.
There seems to be a bit of an implication here that Bernard's stroke is bad and Lezak's is good because they split 46.73 and 46.06 in this race. It seems to me that the primary flaw in Bernard's swim was that he swam on the lane line giving Lezak the draft of his life. Also, finish your race before looking at the scoreboard. How bad can a stroke be that gets you a 46.73 split? It seems to me that if anything this shows how variable individual strokes can be at the very highest level.
not a question of good and bad but rather bernard-good and lezak-gooder.
if lezak would have spun his arms at the same rate as bernard, he would have sacrificed critical distance per stroke.
not a question of good and bad but rather bernard-good and lezak-gooder.
if lezak would have spun his arms at the same rate as bernard, he would have sacrificed critical distance per stroke.
My point stands, to take two swimmers in one particular race, particularly one where one swimmer is drafting off the other, and draw universal conclusions about stroke mechanics is totally unwarranted. I'll be looking forward to hearing a total reversal of the conclusion if Bernard beats Lezak in the 100 free.
