I learned to swim as an adult a couple of years ago. When I started the front crawl, I would focus on being "long" in the water - i.e., really reaching with the forward hand on each stroke, and not pulling until the trailing hand entered the water (the TI front quadrant swimming concept).
But over time, my shoulders would bother me. And I recently learned that swimming with high elbows (envisioning your arm going over a barrel) is better for your shoulders. I was definitely dropping my elbows before.
The problem I'm having is that when I swim with high elbows, I feel like I'm not as "long" in the water, that I get less glide, and that generally, I have to work a lot harder (though my shoulders feel better). One obvious thing I've noticed is that with a high elbow stroke, I can't seem to keep my leading arm out in front until my trailing arm catches up.
Any thoughts? Thanks.
Edit: I should add that I'm a recreational swimmer, so technique that is easier on the shoulder is preferred to a technique that may be better for competitive swimmers but is more stressful to the shoulder joint.
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Former Member
The extreme EVF is not for Rec swimmers since most people simply do not have the shoulder flexibility. Agree with pretty much everything you wrote, especially the comment about most swimmer's asymmetry in term of arm action.
Also agree that EVF isn't for most swimmers although some simple exercises exist to improve shoulder (rotator's cuff) flexibility and in fact. EVF is something that should be practiced outside the water in front of a mirror. Exercises can (and should) be made dryland. Final integration in the water with freestyle one arm etc... Over the years I found out that it is much easier to teach this way, getting rid of any proprioception issue in front of a mirror first.
I think that a lot of rec swimmers can add this flavor to their stroke, to the extent allowed by their flexibility and mechanics.
However and I do want to insist. Combination of extra-long wait time and glide in the front (so typical to rec swimmers) and attempt to perform EVF can be quite damaging on the rotator's cuff (like you probably know).
So to me, the bottom line is that you need to start catching little earlier if you want to integrate EVF, in order to unload some of the pressure put on the catch. And as soon as the arm is getting closer from underneath the body, THEN significant amount of pressure (power) can safely be applied since the elbow is no longer in a vulnerable position.
World class swimmers are World class because they typically have bullet proof bodies. They have swam so many millions of meters than they can put a huge amount of pressure on their EVF catch if need be, but this behavior should not be replicate at the recreational level I strongly agree with you.
I am a master level competitive swimmer (half rec so to speak) and me? It's either the shoulder or the elbow that complain if I put too much pressure on high elbow catch.
The extreme EVF is not for Rec swimmers since most people simply do not have the shoulder flexibility. Agree with pretty much everything you wrote, especially the comment about most swimmer's asymmetry in term of arm action.
Also agree that EVF isn't for most swimmers although some simple exercises exist to improve shoulder (rotator's cuff) flexibility and in fact. EVF is something that should be practiced outside the water in front of a mirror. Exercises can (and should) be made dryland. Final integration in the water with freestyle one arm etc... Over the years I found out that it is much easier to teach this way, getting rid of any proprioception issue in front of a mirror first.
I think that a lot of rec swimmers can add this flavor to their stroke, to the extent allowed by their flexibility and mechanics.
However and I do want to insist. Combination of extra-long wait time and glide in the front (so typical to rec swimmers) and attempt to perform EVF can be quite damaging on the rotator's cuff (like you probably know).
So to me, the bottom line is that you need to start catching little earlier if you want to integrate EVF, in order to unload some of the pressure put on the catch. And as soon as the arm is getting closer from underneath the body, THEN significant amount of pressure (power) can safely be applied since the elbow is no longer in a vulnerable position.
World class swimmers are World class because they typically have bullet proof bodies. They have swam so many millions of meters than they can put a huge amount of pressure on their EVF catch if need be, but this behavior should not be replicate at the recreational level I strongly agree with you.
I am a master level competitive swimmer (half rec so to speak) and me? It's either the shoulder or the elbow that complain if I put too much pressure on high elbow catch.
