So I finally got some video of myself and my son up. This is the first time I'm seeing myself swim, and I'm horrified, lol.
My self-critique: Elbows not high enough, not extending arms very well, arms crossing midline a little on extension, and extending hand almost pushing water a little. Please feel free to add anything, and I'd appreciate advice on drills to address my specific weaknesses (and my son's).
www.youtube.com/watchwww.youtube.com/watch
My son's critique: Elbows drop some, he tends to pull a little too much to the outside rather than down the middle, and his left arm tends to go left on extension. Believe it or not he's much faster than the last time I posted video, he's gotten his 25m time down to 26 sec from 45 when the season started. Please add anything.
www.youtube.com/watchwww.youtube.com/watch
Thanks guys.
Parents
Former Member
Sean, try this: hold your arm out straight to the side, keeping it straight swing it to straight in front of you. The hand travels a longer path than the elbow but they both arrive at the front at the same time. The hand simply moves along its path faster.
It does require more torque or the same torque applied for a longer duration to accelerate the hand to the higher speed, but I see no evidence that that is a limiting factor.
Since your arm can't actually generate any propulsive force in the fully extended position, isn't that extra little extension more about stretching and engaging the lat? The only way to generate any force out there is to flex your wrist, but even then you have to be pulling it back faster than you're moving forward through the water.
as far as the sidearm vs the bent-arm goes, i'll agree that it requires greater force to accelerate the hand to the higher speed that would be required in such a stroke. however, i imagine such a stroke would limit one's ability in distance events, as the greater force required would fatigue the swimmer that much faster. The speed that the hand must travel to keep up with the speed of the elbow would take its toll on the swimmer.
my understanding of that extra stretch is that it gives that much more runway for your pull while not affecting the timing of your stroke, since the pull is finishing out at the same time. it's definitely not about, in itself, generating propulsive force, though. no portion of the recovery is.
--Sean
Sean, try this: hold your arm out straight to the side, keeping it straight swing it to straight in front of you. The hand travels a longer path than the elbow but they both arrive at the front at the same time. The hand simply moves along its path faster.
It does require more torque or the same torque applied for a longer duration to accelerate the hand to the higher speed, but I see no evidence that that is a limiting factor.
Since your arm can't actually generate any propulsive force in the fully extended position, isn't that extra little extension more about stretching and engaging the lat? The only way to generate any force out there is to flex your wrist, but even then you have to be pulling it back faster than you're moving forward through the water.
as far as the sidearm vs the bent-arm goes, i'll agree that it requires greater force to accelerate the hand to the higher speed that would be required in such a stroke. however, i imagine such a stroke would limit one's ability in distance events, as the greater force required would fatigue the swimmer that much faster. The speed that the hand must travel to keep up with the speed of the elbow would take its toll on the swimmer.
my understanding of that extra stretch is that it gives that much more runway for your pull while not affecting the timing of your stroke, since the pull is finishing out at the same time. it's definitely not about, in itself, generating propulsive force, though. no portion of the recovery is.
--Sean
