Correcting My Freestyle: Going from an S-Pull to an I-Pull

WOW. I just got called a swimming novice. Relax. I was saying that in general, I wouldn't recommend this technique for a novice. Not that *you* were a novice.

Relax. I was saying that in general, I wouldn't recommend this technique for a novice. Not that *you* were a novice. It's OK Carlito. We all realize we're novices next to your expertise, doc! You can't help being assumptive.

It's OK Carlito. We all realize we're novices next to your expertise, doc! You can't help being assumptive. :rolleyes: EDIT: I would ask you why you are being such a ***, but you're a sock puppet.

An S pull is a freestyle pull where the hand enters in front as usual, then moves outward, then inward, before finishing straight back before exiting the water. The hand travels in an approximate S shape. An I pull (I suppose since I never heard this description before) is simple - hand enters and pulls essentially straight back. I think the S pull was specifically taught for many years, even decades because it was thought to be a more efficient/powerful technique. But Maglischo's book clearly states that modern research shows the straight pull is more efficient. I'll ask again: I was under the assumption that the I-pull is a technique for sprinters. I haven't read Maglischo's book, so maybe I'm mistaking the I-pull w/ the new sprinting technique that some of the guys used in the Olympics.

Can someone clear this I-pull/S-pull thing for me. When you do an I-pull with body rotation, my understanding is that there is some curving or at least change in pitch to maintain a hold on water. When people talk about the s-pull, are they talking about a conscious effort to make an S versus an unintentional curve? An S-pull is the conscious effort. Not an unintentional curve.

LOL OK to the stroke. Well, I am a bit of a novice in USMS terms but I've gone from swimming how I did as kid to doing high elbow fingertip, hand touch catch-up, & mailslot drill which led to mild impingement pain, and crossing over (Books have their failings in analysing your stroke). From there I went to a wide, almost over the barrel pull but lost a lot of rotation, and the last 6 months I have settled on a more body driven/momentum stroke which has worked for me, and got the rotation back. I got some pain in the front delt/rc from crossing my pull over too far in search of good rotation and have corrected that out mostly, and am now working of getting the right amount of arm bend in the "hold." OK, now I'm not going to tell you what style stroke to pick. What makes you faster (pain and injury free) is the right one for you. I have though chopped and changed a few times in 2.5 years and to drill the changes in however, I used several techniques. Flat swimming 50's and watching your arm entry width. Using a snorkel to watch underwater. Padles with finger loop only--this will magnify feel DPS swimming Using the line to guide your arm/hand (swimming off centre). One arm pull with a board and without. Slow swimming, smooth entry, let hand drop to catch and then recover...I guess it's catch up but not stictly as the book writes. You know the things to do. Definitely recommend a snorkel though as you can see more and work at it. Admittedly without a 12-18 age group swimming career, my habits may not have been so deeply ingrained so unlearning may not have taken as long. Hope my input is helpful. Kristi, just re-read this: again from my learning in recent weeks. I was pulling a lot with the arms and bypassing the body. It felt powerful because I am a stocky guy and the muscles liked engaging, rotating was being ignored and I've worked on that, and now I feel faster. I hold, throw the recovery arm and rotate with the momentum. Just ruminating that feeling the pull could be misleading. I described that badly. It isn't just the stroke itself that feels more powerful. I can tell from my catch on out to my release that I am not slipping water. In addition, I feel less power driving from my shoulders (which drove my S-pull) and more from my lats (which are much bigger muscles and can produce more power). My rotation is another thing I have also been working on, and I feel that in the last couple of practices since I have started the change over, my rotation has actually gotten better than it was with the S (I had a VERY pronounced S which was causing me to slip a lot of water). So far so good. I will know Tomorrow or Tuesday (tomorrow if I wake up early enough! 5:30 is rough!). SwimStud, I didn't swim age group either, which is why I went and swam at a college where walk ons were happily accepted. I did train, but it was privately. I had the benefit of training with the high school team when I was in junior high until they disbanded the team due to lack of interest. And wouldn't you know it, AFTER I left high school, within 2 years, they had another coach who came and started it back up. I am telling you, that is my luck!

I'll ask again: I was under the assumption that the I-pull is a technique for sprinters. I haven't read Maglischo's book, so maybe I'm mistaking the I-pull w/ the new sprinting technique that some of the guys used in the Olympics. Ian Thorpe has been doing a modified I-pull, as has Grant Hackett, so I do not think it is just for sprinters.

One more thing I thought of: I got into habit of having a straightened arm and pulling down from the reach, and it brought pressure to the shoulder and also raised my body. Try to keep the arm naturally bent and let the hand drop....again that's my stroke...see how it feels to you. It may not work. For sprints there is a bit of a shortening of the stroke and you might bend you arm a bit more. I'm working on that.

Let's keep it simple. Rt hand enters Rt hands thumb follows the right hand side of the black line on the bottom until you get to the finish. Repeat with the Lt hand on the left hand side of the line on the bottom. No stupid drills needed. This is very helpful for me. But, when you say "Rt hand thum follows right hand side of black line..." is the hand FLAT during this, or is the hand vertical so that the thumb is the first finger following the line? Not sure if my question is clear--does that make sense?

OK I am under the concept that you will want the water that is not moving to gain more of a pull of resistance than the water that is moving with an I pull.