I am assuming S is still the dominant pull pattern, but if you are using I, are you using it 100% of the time and for all distances?
I am not collecting this information for any purpose, just curious how the I pattern adoption is going along and what people think of it.
S Pattern: Entering close to the median line of the body, then sculling out before beginning the catch. At the catch the hand begins an inward sweep before turning outward somewhere mid torso with the hand underneath the body. The stroke finishes and exits the water on the final outward sweep. See picture.
I Pattern: The hand enters wide of the mid line of the body with no scull before the catch. From the catch to the finish is approximately a straight line.
The difference between S and I is S has phases in different directions while I tries to maintain a single direction the entire time.
lh5.ggpht.com/.../SANY0001.JPG
I attempt to use an "I" pull, but my hand moves around some. I don't deliberately move my hand in any pattern, other than to try to keep it straight under me and not "wiggle" during a pull set. So I would have to say "I don't know" for the answer...
I changed my freestyle stroke around some, after taking 15 years off, and found that having someone look at my stroke helped a lot. I was trying to reach too far and breaking out of streamline at the front, and I was letting my elbow too near my body at the back half of the stroke. I changed those things and my shoulders feel much, much better.
I attempt to use an "I" pull, but my hand moves around some. I don't deliberately move my hand in any pattern, other than to try to keep it straight under me and not "wiggle" during a pull set. So I would have to say "I don't know" for the answer...
I changed my freestyle stroke around some, after taking 15 years off, and found that having someone look at my stroke helped a lot. I was trying to reach too far and breaking out of streamline at the front, and I was letting my elbow too near my body at the back half of the stroke. I changed those things and my shoulders feel much, much better.
