Hip driven or shoulder driven? The reason I ask is that I'm a shoulder driven sprinter but have a more hip driven stroke in the 200.
I've been trying to find some speed from a hip driven stroke but so far have just not been able to come close (24.3 scy hip driven vs 23.1 shoulder driven). Is one inherently better than the other? If so, why?
Can one utilize both techniques depending on the race? Is it possible to have an effective shoulder driven sprint stroke and an effective hip driven distance stroke?
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Former Member
It's difficult to say. The model swims somewhat flat up front with little or no reach with it's arms, yet the hips are rotating from side to side.
Not exactly real world, but close. It looks a tad too mechanical even though it's a very well done computer model.
The coach describes it here very well. He thinks of each style as a different gear. And there are examples of each.
A sprinter may not be able to use a shoulder driven freestyle on a longer set (without getting tired)...so they transition into more of a distance stroke. Hip driven is more like speed skating. Long extension of the lead arm, more of a body roll, and a quieter kick.
www.youtube.com/watch
This is the same clip referenced earlier, only on youtube. I find it confusing because, as you note, a 'hip-driven' stroke is longer and slower, while 'shoulder-driven' is faster. But that seems to mean, by definition, hip driven is just swimming slower and shoulder-driven is just swimming faster. That wouldn't be a difference in method, but a difference in pacing.
At the same time, people who have a lot of experience seem to say there is a difference, and it's significant. That's what I'm trying to understand.
It's difficult to say. The model swims somewhat flat up front with little or no reach with it's arms, yet the hips are rotating from side to side.
Not exactly real world, but close. It looks a tad too mechanical even though it's a very well done computer model.
The coach describes it here very well. He thinks of each style as a different gear. And there are examples of each.
A sprinter may not be able to use a shoulder driven freestyle on a longer set (without getting tired)...so they transition into more of a distance stroke. Hip driven is more like speed skating. Long extension of the lead arm, more of a body roll, and a quieter kick.
www.youtube.com/watch
This is the same clip referenced earlier, only on youtube. I find it confusing because, as you note, a 'hip-driven' stroke is longer and slower, while 'shoulder-driven' is faster. But that seems to mean, by definition, hip driven is just swimming slower and shoulder-driven is just swimming faster. That wouldn't be a difference in method, but a difference in pacing.
At the same time, people who have a lot of experience seem to say there is a difference, and it's significant. That's what I'm trying to understand.
