what should i be focusing on when doing catch up drills in the pool?
Start with you arms shoulder width apart and NOT with one hand on top of the other.
Things to work on:
high elbow recovery by finishing the power phase of your stroke with the palm of your hand facing toward your feet. Shrug your shoulder to lift yor elbow.
Finger tip hand entry in line with yor shoulder and opposite yor extended arm’s elbow.
Full extension of tht arm followed by hip rotation on the other side.
Do breathe on each and every stroke right after the initiation of hip roll.
DougStern
Your stroke. Catch-up drill is all about focusing on your stroke. One arm at a time.
thanks for replying, doug
can you clarify a few things, please?
“Shrug your shoulder to lift yor elbow” - you mean to initiate the elbow-lift?
“Finger tip hand entry … opposite yor extended arm’s elbow.” - i just don’t know what this means
“breathe on each and every stroke” - okay, this was pretty clear, but really? EVERY stroke? why?
Yes, Doug is big on shrugging the shoulder to initiate the recovery phase of the arm stroke.
He means he wants your hand to enter the water at the same parallel to your opposite elbow - not by your ear, not fully extended, but just past the top of your head.
I think he wants you to breathe every stroke so that the stroke will feel the same on both sides.
Your arm recovery start by lifting your shoulder toward your ear.
Hand entry opposite your elbow - Your hand entry should be very close to your head. If you extend an arm notice where your elbow is in relation to your head (about 4 inches past your head). Your hand enters the water directly in line with your shoulder and at that point.
If you learn to breathe at the front end of your stroke you will be barely turning your head. You shuld learn to breathe on either side.
This takes practice and is part of the overall drill.
DougStern
Doug:
As always, great advice. Can you give me an explanation of the underwater recovery drill? Perhaps a link to some kind of visualization? What is the purpose of this drill? What other drills achieve the same objective?
Thanks.
I do not know what the underwater recovery drill is unless you are referring to long dog.
DougStern