Hey guys, my apologies to those of you getting sick of critiquing people, :laugh2: I just joined a masters team this week and I've gotten some really good instruction on the *** stroke and free, but have a couple questions and a video on which i'm hoping to get some feedback. On the free, the coach is advocating pressing down with the whole arm and then pulling the water underneath me with the forearm just about parallel to the pool floor. He even said to almost touch my opposite hip with my hand (I understood that as crossing the midline on the pull). Is this kind of old school or is there something I might be misunderstanding? It felt very weird trying that, very different from what I had been (unsuccessfully) striving for before. I'm kind of trying to combine elements of what he is saying with what I have read and watched in videos. He was very helpful in getting me aware of my balance and body position. On the *** stroke he was very helpful as well with the arm pull, I did much better after his instruction. One interesting thing he advocated was bringing the legs up during the pull and kicking while arm shooting, so my feet should be back together once my arms were in streamline. What I have seen in videos of olympians shows a kick that is a little more delayed; the legs come up to the butt during the shoot, then the arms are in streamline before the actual squeezing of the legs/feet. Can someone comment on this?
I think I may have screwed myself by doing so much reading and watching videos for 3 years before getting a coach. I would have been less confused during practice. That said, the net effect has been positive.
Here is a freestyle video from today. I definitely see flaws; left arm is weird, probably too high, so I have trouble catching. I look uncomfortable and twisted when left side is down. I'm still not getting the forearms very vertical, right arm in particular probably pulls too low. I wonder if I need more shoulder strength and/or more internal rotation of the shoulder. I've been working really hard on narrowing my kick amplitude, but some strokes forget. I also have problems with the kick rhythm. Please critique and offer me drills you would do when I do practice on my own (have Masters just 3 days a week). Thanks a bunch.
YouTube - Swim Dec 9
Hey Shark, sorry haven't been on for a few days. But yeah, I was there on Thursday next to the bulkhead, with the blue cap. Pretty much every Tuesday and Thursday.
I saw you on Tues. I think you were doing catch-up drill. Your stroke is looking better. Keep it up! Hopefully I'll see you again in the new year.
Here is my latest video, after doing Masters for a month. I know there are still problems (catch not superb), but hopefully it looks better than before. Different angles than the video in the beginning of the thread, but hopefully people can compare them a little. Any advice greatly appreciated, because my coach really doesn't see me too well under water I would imagine.
YouTube - Tarik swimming Jan 23 2011
You have a nice quiet relaxed stroke. Your high elbow recovery looks good, your hand placement in the water and reach looks good, your kick looks in rythm, your stroke count is very acceptable (if it's meters, it's very good), but you are still dropping your elbows. Try hard to achieve high elbows and vertical forearm and you will feel yourself pick up speed. Maybe try paddles, I think this promotes EVF, I know when I pull with paddles, they make me go to an earlier vertical forearm.
Maybe try paddles, I think this promotes EVF, I know when I pull with paddles, they make me go to an earlier vertical forearm.
As an addendum, I recommend using paddles without the bottom strap around the wrist. Most often the paddles will be falling off if you don't have EVF.
Much improved, I would like to see a little more effort with the forearm to the hand action (catch to finish). You seem to be reaching for the bottom during the catch phase. The lats do not seem as they are involved. I think I see that your fingers are held tightly together. This sometimes causes tension in the forearm. In general a good swim.
How many yards is that accross the pool. 60 feet or 75 feet?
25 yard pool.
Much improved, I would like to see a little more effort with the forearm to the hand action (catch to finish). You seem to be reaching for the bottom during the catch phase. The lats do not seem as they are involved. I think I see that your fingers are held tightly together. This sometimes causes tension in the forearm. In general a good swim.
How many yards is that accross the pool. 60 feet or 75 feet?
You know, the story behind this is kind of interesting. My coach preaches a deep catch, and initially I was resistant to the idea because it went against everything I read. He says that if you are hanging off a cliff, do you want to be pulling yourself up by the fingertips or by your hand and forearms. He's not a fan of the "extreme EVF". One day I decided to just let go and do what he said, and I found that suddenly catching deeper improved my relaxation, rhythm, and believe it or not my ability to keep my elbow higher than my hand.
Still realizing that eventually I need to get that elbow up higher, I've decided to do it gradually. Maybe weekly try to get it up another inch or so. In the past when I would go for it all I found my hips sinking and my elbow unable to hold its high position. One thing that I think is helping me a little is the rotator cuff exercises I've been doing.
I do use paddles and I think they have definitely improved my catch, at least relative to where it was. I have experimented without the wrist band. I recently got a Swim smooth DVD set, and they mention 4 sculling drills to incorporate that improve your ability to hold the water throughout the catch and pull. Anyone have thoughts on the role of sculling to help with this? I think that if I can learn to feel the water a little better I will have more success keeping the elbow high. It seems harder to keep the elbow high when I don't feel like it is bracing on anything. Kind of the chicken and the egg, do I need to keep it high to feel the water, or feel the water to keep it high.
Much improved, I would like to see a little more effort with the forearm to the hand action (catch to finish). You seem to be reaching for the bottom during the catch phase. The lats do not seem as they are involved. I think I see that your fingers are held tightly together. This sometimes causes tension in the forearm. In general a good swim.
How many yards is that accross the pool. 60 feet or 75 feet?
