There is not front quadrant swimming and should be dispelled as gobbledee-gook speak-ease. Every swimmer from toddler to World class swimmer uses some facsimile of all four quadrants.
Let’s sort out some definitions so swimmers understand terminology. Front-quadrant swimming; it is not a style but a term. Each competitive stroke can be separated into various parts. If we use four parts or quadrants we can dissect each stroke into a front quadrant where propulsion occurs, a second quadrant where the finish or completion of the stroke occurs, a third quadrant where the recovery is initiated, and the fourth quadrant where the recovery makes the transition to the entry.
The recovery (when the arms are out of the water) may be looked at as a style where coaches see swimmer with either a straight arm or bent arm recovery and even a variance of both. The position of a swimmers body (hip rotation) while they are swimming may also be looked at as a style when swimmers are either very horizontal / flat or rolling side to side. Pulling patterns are also looked at by coaches who will notice different sculling motions as swimmer will pull faster or more pronounced toward the midline of the body and away from it. The depth of the hand as it pulls back is also another cue coaches look for when dissecting a stroke. Coaches will also look at how a swimmer sets-up their stroke in either an Early Vertical Forearm catch (over-a-barrel position) or a Straight arm catch. And last but not least, a coach will look at a swimmer tempo or timing to see when the arms and legs move and if they’re working together effectively or not.
Janet Evan’s straight arm recovery did not stop her from setting world records because when her arms where in the water she displayed effective propulsive / world class form.
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i think he is just trying to get people to visit his website...and making it seem like he invented what the aussies have been teaching for some time...
all i know is that the swimmers are not near catch-up, but he keeps acting as though the whole world swims like that...i think he has nothing better to do than try and call the wheel by another name...
ROUND OBJECT WITH WHOLE IN MIDDLE...MAKE STUFF MOVE EASY...VISIT MY WEBSITE...
Seriously, Tom, have you read anything anyone else has said? Front-quadrant swimming, whether you like the term or not, means the recovering arm enters the water while the pulling arm is still in the front quadrant. This means your pulling arm can be in the EVF catch position you advocate when the recovering arm enters. In fact many of the swimmers in the videos you've posted appear to swim that way, or at least very close to that.
You mention fluid mechanics, lift, drag, etc. Can we agree, then, that the goal should be to maximize propulsion while minimizing drag? I think that's what front-quadrant swimming is attempting to do. Sprinters probably shouldn't swim this way because propulsion is of paramount importance to them. A constant application of force to the water is more important to them so they're willing to accept the tradeoff of slightly more drag, but when you get to longer distances you need to be more efficient.
Keep in mind why a lot of these terms were thrown out there: for the "average" swimmer, who usually spends a lot of time in the stroke cycle with both arms at their side. You tell them to do front-quadrant swimming/catch-up drill to break bad habits.
Tom, I have never seen anyone claim that all swimming occurs in the front quadrant in "front quadrant swimming". Front quadrant swimming usually refers to the position of the pulling arm when the recovering hand enters the water. It can either be used as a binary yes/no term or as a matter of degree with the catch up drill being one extreme end of the spectrum. Likewise when people refer to a catch up swimming style they are usually referring to a spectrum with the catch up drill being the extreme. Aggressively trying to force your own definitions on the rest of the world is unlikely to be constructive. Everyone already knows that no one competes at the Olympics using the hand-tap catchup drill.
I've used the science and terms brought to swimming by the great Doc Councilman and Ernie Maglischo, Eddie Reese, Mark Schubert, George Haines, Forbes Carlile, Bob Steele, Richard Quick, Jack Bauerle and many other proven coaches. I don't take the science of swimming lightly and when someone tries to steer a swimmer in the wrong direction, I'm going to say something. Swimming is changing all the time but basic principles of fluid dynamics must be followed. Lift forces, drag forces and how they're applied are crucial to efficient swimming. The variables that mold each swimmer into "how they swim" are many but certain variables should not be altered. When someone tells another swimmer that laying on their arm, waiting for the other arm to catch-up will make them swim FASTER (not just easier), I've got a problem with that and so should you. I'm not a know-it-all but some things simply erk me and when someone is trying to pawn-off junk-science and here as gospel, I've had enough.
Wow that felt good. Goodbye
Front quadrant swimming is a term.
I am afraid that catch words and terms in swimming is a name the game thing. In late 40s someone came up with the name the catchup stroke and did a specific movement so the arms would be centered instead of placing them in the water shoulder witdth. It was not introduced to help us reach. It was in the days that we were also told keep the shoulders flat and don't roll. One of our coaches used to tell me quit rolling the shoulders. Don't bend your arms under water. I never listened to him, he was a goof. He even told us to bilateral breathe
There are enough terms out there screwing swimmers up we don't need to add more mumbo jumbo terms like Front-quadrant swimming to the list. If front quadrant means swimming flat without rotation then say that.
Like Early Vertical Forearm? I see very few swimmers, even your examples, that have a 'vertical' forearm for any length of time. Usually the forearm, i.e. wrist to elbow, is at some diagonal to the horizontal plane and passes through 'vertical' momentarily.
Perhaps if you mean that the forearm should be perpendicular to the direction of travel you should say that.
Your being intentional obtuse regarding front quadrant swimming. If you really can't grasp the concept, do a google search for it and you'll find lots of entries that describe it far more eloquently than I can.
There are enough terms out there screwing swimmers up we don't need to add more mumbo jumbo terms like Front-quadrant swimming to the list. If front quadrant means swimming flat without rotation then say that.
I don't know who created the name "Front quadrant" swimming. You rotate anytime you swim properly. Second, world class swimmers work hard at keeping their inertia or forward movement constant. Even a great kick like Michael Phelps can only reduce inertia loss (those who kick worse lose more inertia). In order for a kick to increase forward speed the kick would have to create more power than the arms. A style of stroke is only a style if it can be taught. I can teach swimmers how to lay on their arm and wait for the other arm to catch up or the best way to swim and that's to start the other arm when the opposite is in the EVF or propulsive phase. I can teach a swimmer to swim flat (no rotation???) or rotate and that's another style. I can teach a swimmer to catch early or or not and that's another style.
