Found this video on youtube while researching breaststroke drills:
YouTube- Swimming - Breaststroke - Underwater Pull, Power Phase
For those not able to see the video, the gist is: The dolphin kick can start with any parallel or downward motion of the hands (per the video).
Does this rule interpretation apply to USMS? Hopefully someone with authoritative knowledge can give their .02... As I am setting up my drill/practice routines I'd like to do it the right way : ).
Thanks :bow: to any or all guru's who reply!
Chris
Parents
Former Member
back to the rules
the rule states that the pull must precede the kick (the breaststroke is a cycle stroke, first arms then legs)
however, as I understand it, to make allowance for a Japanese swimmer, the rule is interpreted officially to mean that ANY downward or sideways motion of the hands or arms constitutes the beginning of the pull (not whether it was an actual pull) and that there is no rule against a discontinuous pull. thus, a swimmer could - legally - ever so slightly move the hands or arms downward or sideways, take a rather long pause, then actually pull back...back beyond the hips if desired on that first pull off the blocks or wall)
since it is virtually impossible to say with certainty (the standard of officiating along with giving the swimmer the benefit of the doubt) what possibly small movements the hands or arms made were accomplished by the swimmer while the official looks through bubbling and eddying water, the call of 'kick before pull' or 'out of sequence' shall be only rarely invoked (at Nationals a couple weeks ago, most such calls were overturned upon keen video inspection....raising in my mind a quandary....swimmers may get DQed at regular meets because they are not 'saved' by the video replay)
what seemed to be a clear rule - pull before the kick - turns out to be a legal blur.
back to the rules
the rule states that the pull must precede the kick (the breaststroke is a cycle stroke, first arms then legs)
however, as I understand it, to make allowance for a Japanese swimmer, the rule is interpreted officially to mean that ANY downward or sideways motion of the hands or arms constitutes the beginning of the pull (not whether it was an actual pull) and that there is no rule against a discontinuous pull. thus, a swimmer could - legally - ever so slightly move the hands or arms downward or sideways, take a rather long pause, then actually pull back...back beyond the hips if desired on that first pull off the blocks or wall)
since it is virtually impossible to say with certainty (the standard of officiating along with giving the swimmer the benefit of the doubt) what possibly small movements the hands or arms made were accomplished by the swimmer while the official looks through bubbling and eddying water, the call of 'kick before pull' or 'out of sequence' shall be only rarely invoked (at Nationals a couple weeks ago, most such calls were overturned upon keen video inspection....raising in my mind a quandary....swimmers may get DQed at regular meets because they are not 'saved' by the video replay)
what seemed to be a clear rule - pull before the kick - turns out to be a legal blur.
