A while back, I jumped on the triathlon website Slowtwitch and got attacked for saying that the power in the freestyle pull comes in the front of the stroke (hand entry to shoulder), not in the middle (shoulder to belly button) or back (belly button to release). Nonsense...they said. Didn't you read the article by Popov's coach showing the power is at the end of the stroke?
That never made sense to me. After all, at the end of the stroke there is only about one muscle still working, the tricep, and the hand is not in that position for very long.
At last, I got the proof I needed. A few weeks ago I was tested on the Velocity Meter, a very cool device that measures the speed of the body through the entire stroke cycle. It was VERY revealing and provided tons of information I could not get elsewhere.
Such as:1) the body speed slows by as much as 40% from the fastest to the slowest point during a single arm stroke. 40%!!! That is huge. The difference in speed is directly caused by the body going from a relative streamlined position to a very non-streamlined position and back again.
2) The fastest point in the stroke cycle is when the hand first enters the water and the slowest point is when the hand is about at the shoulder underwater. That is when the upper arm is pointing nearly perpendicular to the line of the body (ie most drag).
I realize that the speed of the body at any given instant is a result of the propulsive power minus the drag forces, that one cannot determine just from the velocity that the power is really greater in front. But when the speed drops from 2.5 meters per second when the hand is in front to 1.4 meters per second when it is in the middle, I have to believe that the power in front is greatest.
By the way, the propulsive power of the arm is created by both lift forces at the beginning and drag forces in the middle, as the hand shifts from forward motion to backward motion (then forward again as it releases).
Anyway, read my latest blog on our website www.theraceclub.com to find out more revealing secrets from the Velocity Meter.
Gary Sr.
Parents
Former Member
"I don't view hand and arm in the stroke cycle as "paddling" in that you move water backwards. Rather it's kind of like doing a one armed pull-up on an underwater ladder. As each hand grabs onto a rung, you pull yourself past the point where you latched on. It's just a slightly different take on what's going on under the surface."
Even in paddling, the objective is not to move water backwards, but to move the boat (like the body) forward (past the blade or hand). So like the hand, the paddle doesn't move backwards, but remains fixed in location. And like your "underwater ladder," I actually practice on land using a four (4) foot long skateboard and propel myself with the swim stroke. My neighbors think I'm nuts going up and down the sidewalk, but boy, my shoulders get a workout. I wear leather garden gloves and get my hips involved too. If you have access to an outdoor basketball court with a smooth surface, try flinging yourself with one-arm pulls. Doing this will give a good mental picture of how far the body travels during the swim stroke in relation to arm position. Of course, even on land, my hands always exit ahead of where they begin the stroke.
ps: please wear a helmet if you try the skateboard drill. thank you, clyde
"I don't view hand and arm in the stroke cycle as "paddling" in that you move water backwards. Rather it's kind of like doing a one armed pull-up on an underwater ladder. As each hand grabs onto a rung, you pull yourself past the point where you latched on. It's just a slightly different take on what's going on under the surface."
Even in paddling, the objective is not to move water backwards, but to move the boat (like the body) forward (past the blade or hand). So like the hand, the paddle doesn't move backwards, but remains fixed in location. And like your "underwater ladder," I actually practice on land using a four (4) foot long skateboard and propel myself with the swim stroke. My neighbors think I'm nuts going up and down the sidewalk, but boy, my shoulders get a workout. I wear leather garden gloves and get my hips involved too. If you have access to an outdoor basketball court with a smooth surface, try flinging yourself with one-arm pulls. Doing this will give a good mental picture of how far the body travels during the swim stroke in relation to arm position. Of course, even on land, my hands always exit ahead of where they begin the stroke.
ps: please wear a helmet if you try the skateboard drill. thank you, clyde
