Getting EVF to "stick"

However, that sensation disappears as I get further and further from the catch-up drill (almost catch-up, front quadrant stroke, no pause before catch). How do I stay in the EVF zone as I move from drill to normal stroke? Or should I just always swim (almost?) catch-up??? What an interesting little question here. The mere fact that you're wondering about this kinds of suggest that you're in the right direction. Your issue probably relates to timing. Timing the FreeStyle isn't as easy as most would think. There are a lot of elements going on in the same time, all of them requiring to be in sych with the others. Breathing, arm entry, catch, kick timing, body rotation etc. What probably happens is this. By slowing down your timing (e.g. slowish catchup pace), you allow yourself enough time to flex the wrist, drop the hand (before the elbow), catch and pull. The first phases are done *unweighted* - that is, with minimal pressure under the palm of your hand. Let me be clear on this. After hand entry, given that you're performing Catchup (one arm at the time basically), you move your hand down with elbow EVF without applying and force, then after the catch is made you apply some force and accelerate the hand throughout the remaining of the pulling path. When you quit the Catchup Zone, when you swim full stroke, you may loose this. Your hand probably waits little too long in the front (after hand entry). If the hand waits too long in the front, then that leaves you less time to complete the pulling. Bare in mind that the other arm imposes a certain rhythm. After having waited too long in the front, you have little choice but applying more pressure to the early phases of the pulling. Too much pressure (too much force, or power whatever name you give to it) in the early phases of the pulling path will compromise your ability to EVF (for certain reasons). The solution is to learn to start pulling little earlier. After hand entry, your hand doesn't have to move rapidly, but it should immediately start its positioning process. Immediately after hand entry think about flexing the wrist then dropping the hand/forearm. You do it slowly - with no weight no pressure no power applied. That way your EVF should stick little more.

However, that sensation disappears as I get further and further from the catch-up drill (almost catch-up, front quadrant stroke, no pause before catch). How do I stay in the EVF zone as I move from drill to normal stroke? Or should I just always swim (almost?) catch-up??? What an interesting little question here. The mere fact that you're wondering about this kinds of suggest that you're in the right direction. Your issue probably relates to timing. Timing the FreeStyle isn't as easy as most would think. There are a lot of elements going on in the same time, all of them requiring to be in sych with the others. Breathing, arm entry, catch, kick timing, body rotation etc. What probably happens is this. By slowing down your timing (e.g. slowish catchup pace), you allow yourself enough time to flex the wrist, drop the hand (before the elbow), catch and pull. The first phases are done *unweighted* - that is, with minimal pressure under the palm of your hand. Let me be clear on this. After hand entry, given that you're performing Catchup (one arm at the time basically), you move your hand down with elbow EVF without applying and force, then after the catch is made you apply some force and accelerate the hand throughout the remaining of the pulling path. When you quit the Catchup Zone, when you swim full stroke, you may loose this. Your hand probably waits little too long in the front (after hand entry). If the hand waits too long in the front, then that leaves you less time to complete the pulling. Bare in mind that the other arm imposes a certain rhythm. After having waited too long in the front, you have little choice but applying more pressure to the early phases of the pulling. Too much pressure (too much force, or power whatever name you give to it) in the early phases of the pulling path will compromise your ability to EVF (for certain reasons). The solution is to learn to start pulling little earlier. After hand entry, your hand doesn't have to move rapidly, but it should immediately start its positioning process. Immediately after hand entry think about flexing the wrist then dropping the hand/forearm. You do it slowly - with no weight no pressure no power applied. That way your EVF should stick little more.