As you can probably guess by my name, freestyle is a confusing stroke for me.
What is the proper timing for the freestyle stroke?
Should one pause briefly before trying to pull?
Can kicking too much mess up the timing of the stroke?
When you swim with a freestyle snorkel, how much does that slow you down?
Should it be thumb first entry, pinky first or finger tip first?
Thanks for your help.
Parents
Former Member
I'll defer to others with more knowledge of technique and timing, but I will say:
Should it be thumb first entry, pinky first or finger tip first?
I was taught a thumb-first entry when I was a kid. That may or may not be out of style now, I'm not sure. But I can say that thumb-first entry is tougher on my shoulders. When I make a concerted effort to have a fingertip entry (which feels to me like pinky-first) then my shoulders complain much less.
Should one pause briefly before trying to pull?
Whether you call it a pause, a glide, a skull, etc, there is some value to extending your reach before initiating your catch, at least for longer events.
I'll defer to others with more knowledge of technique and timing, but I will say:
Should it be thumb first entry, pinky first or finger tip first?
I was taught a thumb-first entry when I was a kid. That may or may not be out of style now, I'm not sure. But I can say that thumb-first entry is tougher on my shoulders. When I make a concerted effort to have a fingertip entry (which feels to me like pinky-first) then my shoulders complain much less.
Should one pause briefly before trying to pull?
Whether you call it a pause, a glide, a skull, etc, there is some value to extending your reach before initiating your catch, at least for longer events.
