Here it comes our second video for those novice swimmers that need some tips, I hope you’ll like it.
We are going to do this series specially for beginners.
We will do many more during this 2013-14 season…
Genial. Bueno video.
catch up drills? really? reinforces bad technique…
catch up drills? really? reinforces bad technique…
? I’d imagine most/all of the former competitive swimmers on this board would disagree with that statement. The drill in the video of holding the board with each hand is particularly effective in helping people isolate each arm and get a feel for their pull.
Catch up is really hit or miss, especially for beginner swimmers. It reinforces some good things, but can easily force a new (or experienced swimmer) to lose rotation, cross over arm entry, and hesitate at the top of the stroke. Plus, using a board eliminates arm entry benefits from catch up. Use with caution.
I agree with the board causing problems. We always just used short lengths of PVC pipe.
I’m a former competitive swimmer so we nixed the “all” on that one…
much better ways to get feel for pull by doing sculling drills etc.
I guess we’re all entitled to our own opinions. I find it to be quite useful in coaching everyone from age group swimmers to adult-onset tri swimmers. I suppose the board drill could reinforce poor body roll but catch up is a staple drill used by some of the best pool and open water swimmers since time immemorial. To wit, here’s a good video of Chloe sutton talking about how/why she uses it. http://vimeo.com/59009808
It may or may not be the BEST drill but it certainly isn’t something to avoid. Just out of curiosity, why don’t you like it?
a few reasons I don’t like it, but would say that every person is different, but think for most people it is better to work on other drills
- can stop proper body roll
- reinforces late breathing with people learning to breathe when hand enters water and stretches out, not earlier when it should and this can shorten time for people to take a breath
- does not strengthen shoulder muscles that are needed for a more efficient stroke
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- does not strengthen shoulder muscles that are needed for a more efficient stroke
Gotta love slowtwitch! Look at this steaming pile of crazy!
lats are the muslces that need most development in swimmers and catch up has people mostly focus on the triceps.
quod erat demonstrandum!
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lats are the muslces that need most development in swimmers and catch up has people mostly focus on the triceps.
quod erat demonstrandum!
**
Above, you specifically mentioned shoulder muscles. Lats/triceps are not shoulder muscles and shoulder muscles are certainly activated in catchup.
Quoth the wikipedia: “The latissimus dorsi is responsible for extension, adduction, transverse extension also known as horizontal abduction, flexion from an extended position, and (medial) internal rotation of the shoulder joint.”
And triceps not being a shoulder muscle was his point.
Swimming catch-up puts focus on internal rotation and adduction of the humerus. Primary muscle doing internal rotation: Subsculpularis (small and weak), Teres Major (bigger and stronger) and Latissimus Dorsi (huge and powerful). Primary muscle doing adduction? The lats. Of course. Sure, the medial head of the triceps muscle can also perform adduction to some degree since it has its origin on the scapula, but really. The flexion of the elbow also puts the medial head of the triceps into a state of active insufficiency… The triceps is not a strong muscle for swimming. And the lats are the absolute primary muscle. And the catch-up drill works it pretty hard since you have to do every stroke from a slow start.
quod erat demonstrandum
On Topic though: I like the catch-up drill. I usually swim about 200m catch up in my technique-set before my aerobic set. However, I always follow up with a rhytm-drill such as 1-arm free, fistswimming, etc. Drilling, by its nature, will let some area of your stroke suffer while you focus on what the drill targets. My left arm swimming is just awful when I swim right-arm only, dont want to let that pattern stuck! 
Speaking as a beginner… (I swim 3xweek for about a year…never swam before that)
Catch up drill messes up my stroke timing for the rest of that session.
Quoth the wikipedia: “The latissimus dorsi is responsible for extension, adduction, transverse extension also known as horizontal abduction, flexion from an extended position, and (medial) internal rotation of the shoulder joint.”
And triceps not being a shoulder muscle was his point.
Perhaps also add the statement above that one.
“The latissimus dorsi (/ˌləˈtɪsɨməs ˈdɒrsaɪ/) (plural: latissimi dorsi), meaning ‘broadest of the back’ (Latin latus meaning ‘broad’, latissimus meaning ‘broadest’ and dorsum meaning the back),”
So while I have to agree that it may well have an influence on the shoulder, it is not a shoulder muscle.
Sorry, in a pedantic mood.
Genial. Bueno video.
Muchas gracias!!
Si ayuda a un sólo deportista, ya nos damos por satisfechos!!
Habrán muchos más!!
catch up drills? really? reinforces bad technique…
Mustn’t hurt good technique. I remember watching Ian Thorpe at our local pool doing catch up drills with a kick board out front and a bunch of biomechanic types watching. Aust swim coach (at the time) was walking along pool deck watching as well. This was when he announced his comeback. I got to chatting with one of the tech people and he told me Thorpe uses it to improve his “feel” for the water. He had a strong catch up technique anyway. I’d do it all day every day if it made me swim like him but I suspect I had the wrong parents to get there regardless!