So I am still in search of the decent catch. Unfortunately, particularly on my left when I try to pivot my forearm at the elbow (without lowering the upper arm at all), my elbow suddenly drops for a millisecond and my forearm actually gets higher, as if something is pushing my forearm up and medially. Then I regain control and pull back with a high elbow. :confused: I happens so fast that I only see it when I take video, I don't really feel it. I'll post some video when I get home. I can't figure out why it happens. One thing I discovered that seems to help is I lower my whole arm just an inch or so before pivoting at the elbow, and the momentum of this seems to help get that shoulder internally rotated and keep the forearm heading down from the get go.
I know this is not the ideal EVF, but I'm wondering if this would be a good start to work with. Does anyone else do this? In some video of Thorpe swimming casually he does this, but in his races he doesn't. Here's a couple examples;
YouTube- Ian Thorpe swimming freestyle 1 (casual)
YouTube- Ian Thorpe swimming under-side (you see a little of both in this one)
YouTube- Ian Thorpe Underwater (right upper arm doesn't seem to drop at all, classic EVF).
I'm thinking I should just stick with what I'm capable and build from there rather than struggle with an ideal catch and feel frustration. Trying so hard to get a good catch messes with my breathing as I don't breath relaxed.
Any advice is greatly appreciated, I really want to get better. As I said I'll post video later tonight of my ugly catch. I don't have video yet of the adjustment I'm doing, but my son said it looked better. I'll try to post that next week.
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Any advice is greatly appreciated, I really want to get better. Not sure I even need to see the clip.
You're problem may be a timing one. You're probably applying too much pressure on catch. That will undoubtedly happen if you're little late taking it (although you may not be late on catch and still apply too much pressure on it, but it's rare). That seems to confirm by the fact that when dropping the whole arm little deeper, thus placing your shoulder in a more favorable position to sustain the pressure, elbow doesn't drop.
In other words, EVF (or at least as much as your flexibility allows you to achieve) isn't only a matter of thinking very hard about not dropping the elbow. It is also a matter of carefully applying pressure progressively. Very little first, thus allowing EVF position to be held, then as soon as you feel strong enough you increase the level of pressure, givin a strong (very strong) acceleration until final push.
On other thing, for which I need to thank Coach T. EVF is affected by timing relative to your body rotation. It's little (read sometimes *quite*) easier to hold steep EVF when you reach a flatter position on the water. That means that by delaying a little bit your catch relative to body rotation, EVF is easier to reach.
Now, be very careful with this last element. If you wait too long, it means you'll be late on catch. Being late on catch means that you're applying way more pressure on it.
Best recipe for achieving satisfying EVF is to eliminate any dead spot in the front. Start flexing the wrist immediately then take a very slow (at first) and unloaded catch. As soon as you feel you can put pressure on it, pull hard. For an even steeper EVF to occur, let the body roll whilst delaying the catch just a little.
Work on it 1 arm at the time:
YouTube- Free Style Drill : 0-Arm-to-Full-Stroke Progression
Any advice is greatly appreciated, I really want to get better. Not sure I even need to see the clip.
You're problem may be a timing one. You're probably applying too much pressure on catch. That will undoubtedly happen if you're little late taking it (although you may not be late on catch and still apply too much pressure on it, but it's rare). That seems to confirm by the fact that when dropping the whole arm little deeper, thus placing your shoulder in a more favorable position to sustain the pressure, elbow doesn't drop.
In other words, EVF (or at least as much as your flexibility allows you to achieve) isn't only a matter of thinking very hard about not dropping the elbow. It is also a matter of carefully applying pressure progressively. Very little first, thus allowing EVF position to be held, then as soon as you feel strong enough you increase the level of pressure, givin a strong (very strong) acceleration until final push.
On other thing, for which I need to thank Coach T. EVF is affected by timing relative to your body rotation. It's little (read sometimes *quite*) easier to hold steep EVF when you reach a flatter position on the water. That means that by delaying a little bit your catch relative to body rotation, EVF is easier to reach.
Now, be very careful with this last element. If you wait too long, it means you'll be late on catch. Being late on catch means that you're applying way more pressure on it.
Best recipe for achieving satisfying EVF is to eliminate any dead spot in the front. Start flexing the wrist immediately then take a very slow (at first) and unloaded catch. As soon as you feel you can put pressure on it, pull hard. For an even steeper EVF to occur, let the body roll whilst delaying the catch just a little.
Work on it 1 arm at the time:
YouTube- Free Style Drill : 0-Arm-to-Full-Stroke Progression
