Maglischo in Swimming Fastest (p.108) describes two styles of
catch. One in which the elbow is close to the surface and arm outside shoulder. In the second, the elbow is deeper and the arm only slightly outside the shoulder. (A third straight arm style he does not recommend.)
He argues (amongst other things) that the first allows an earlier catch but may place more strain on the shoulder, so it is not clear which is preferable.
Would either count as an Early Vertical Forearm or only the first? Any views on the shoulder strain argument?
I don't know the answer to your question, though the first very high elbow catch does seem to place more stress on my shoulders than the second more narrow and deeper catch feels less awkward. It could be, however, that I have been doing the second approach for so long that my shoulders are just more used to it. If you watch videos of Grant Hacket types, they clearly do the first approach, so I suspect it could be more effective.
My main reason for replying to your post, however, is to compliment you on your user name. Do you, by any chance, have a very attractive blue girlfriend who lives with your underneath the ocean's surface? If so, don't you get most of your propulsion in the water via those small wings flanking your Achilles tendons?
I don't know the answer to your question, though the first very high elbow catch does seem to place more stress on my shoulders than the second more narrow and deeper catch feels less awkward. It could be, however, that I have been doing the second approach for so long that my shoulders are just more used to it. If you watch videos of Grant Hacket types, they clearly do the first approach, so I suspect it could be more effective.
My main reason for replying to your post, however, is to compliment you on your user name. Do you, by any chance, have a very attractive blue girlfriend who lives with your underneath the ocean's surface? If so, don't you get most of your propulsion in the water via those small wings flanking your Achilles tendons?
