I've been reading some of the latest posts about swimming and trying to incorporate some of the suggestions in my training. In my previous way of swimming, I would glide with my hand and then my next thought was a bend at he elbow, trying to keep it high. I was successful at getting better with this. Now due to my reading, my thought after the glide is to immediately point the hand straight down with a bend of the wrist and then stroke back with a high elbow. This has allowed me to increase my speed and feel much more relaxed in the pool, I think I am just swimming more efficiently this way. My question is: Is the had movement supposed to be as exaggerated as I am doing it or should I try to subtly incorporate the wrist bend with the stroke? Is there a down side to this technique? Am I on the right track by incorporating this movement?
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Re: Swimming help: the catch [Russ Brandt]
[ In reply to ]
Russ
Doing good guy.
By slightly pointing your hand down during the glide phase ,your angle of attack causes your hips to rise closer to the surface which in turn increases your speed.,and then stroke back w/ the high elbow for low drag.
The key is that you are more relaxed than before.
I find that i gain more speed and less drag by always pointing the top of my head towards the wall,cheek to armpit of the glide arm,and like you mentioned high elbow in the stroke phase.
This works for both Bilateral and single side breathing.
Swim Tall
_______________________________________________________
Seeing him in deep torment, I said. " You can have my last GU , but its been down my pants for most of the run". - John Hirsch
Take care of your body, its by far the coolest thing you're going to ever own.- Can't remember who told me this, but I love it.
Doing good guy.
By slightly pointing your hand down during the glide phase ,your angle of attack causes your hips to rise closer to the surface which in turn increases your speed.,and then stroke back w/ the high elbow for low drag.
The key is that you are more relaxed than before.
I find that i gain more speed and less drag by always pointing the top of my head towards the wall,cheek to armpit of the glide arm,and like you mentioned high elbow in the stroke phase.
This works for both Bilateral and single side breathing.
Swim Tall
_______________________________________________________
Seeing him in deep torment, I said. " You can have my last GU , but its been down my pants for most of the run". - John Hirsch
Take care of your body, its by far the coolest thing you're going to ever own.- Can't remember who told me this, but I love it.
Re: Swimming help: the catch [Russ Brandt]
[ In reply to ]
You better post a video. It's hard to correct someone's stroke when you can't see exactly what is going on.
Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta
Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta
Re: Swimming help: the catch [desert dude]
[ In reply to ]
The video won't happen, we'll have to do the best we can with descriptions. The way I think I read it was: IF you were looking straight ahead (I look straight down), but If, before you start your pull, you could read something written on the palm of your hand. So, before the stroke starts at the elbow, the wrist bends quickly and the fingers point to the bottom of the pool. Then start a high elbow stroke. It seems to work but none of the videos I watch of the really good swimmers seem to do this. That is why I'm wondering if I am overexaggerating this movement and it cause other problems.
Oh, and thanks for responding. I find it funny that a post about some dude that is freaked out in the shower by soap and a puff ball gets 78 responses and an actual question about something pretty useful in this sport lingers in obscurity. I'll never understand.