Do I need to change my recovery if I have straight arm recovery?
I’m a slow swimmer (maybe 1:50 per 100 yrds). I focus mostly on developing a good catch and pull. Once in a while a swimmer will tell me that I need to bend my elbow during the recovery. I’ve tried to change, but it just feels “unnatural,” and when I fatigue I just go back to straight arm. I have a very windmill or swinger (as described in swim smooth) style stroke. It isn’t pretty, lots of splash.
I just don’t really understand why I need to change, except that a bent elbow will slightly reduce stroke time. Some of the swimmers have said I am more likely to get injured, but that has never happened. I feel perfectly fine. Also according to swim smooth, swinger style works fine, especially for triathletes. It seems like there are a few swimmers with this style (e.g. Janet Evans). It also seems more common in shorter people like me (5’6"). They just need to work on higher stroke rate.
Thoughts?
As long as you recover quickly and your hand gets in the proper position to start the pull, I don’t care how it gets there.
Thanks for the quick reply. Just found out that the guy who told me to change my recovery isn’t the quickest swimmer (looked up his IM time) and he also posted his swim video on his tri group page, which didn’t look great.
If you’re not hammering out tons of yardage & comfortable where you’re at then go for it. A straight-arm style is more stress on your shoulders but if yours have taken it fine & you’re within reason then it’s not a big deal. A straighter arm “helps” clear rougher water in open water.
Sure, a bent/high elbow recovery is “better” because it can save some energy & improve the recovery speed, but if it isn’t broke, don’t worry about fixing it.
But for the record, know that anything you change is going to feel “unnatural” for a period of time before it becomes an ingrained habit. That doesn’t make it wrong or right, just means you’re doing something different.
And don’t judge all books by their covers. My stroke may have some wonkiness & I’m not an olympian, but I’m a damn good coach.
Here is what I would caution you with: sometimes a straight arm recovery on top is a result of something funny going on down below with the opposite arm. For example it is harder to bend the recovery elbow if your opposite hands has gone to deep under the water. Fixing the recovery elbow will not FIX what is going on underneath; but it could help. In the end, without seeing you, I would encourage you to consider trying to fix the recovery elbow and if that has any positive effect on what really matters (under the water) then work towards it.
I have found that with me personally, when I first started swimming I had a straight arm recovery. Once I started to have better body rotation and alignment it became much more natural to recover the “proper” way.
Maybe you have some underlying issues that your straight arm recovery is an indicator of. Hard to know without seeing you swim.
Here is what I would caution you with: sometimes a straight arm recovery on top is a result of something funny going on down below with the opposite arm. For example it is harder to bend the recovery elbow if your opposite hands has gone to deep under the water. Fixing the recovery elbow will not FIX what is going on underneath; but it could help. In the end, without seeing you, I would encourage you to consider trying to fix the recovery elbow and if that has any positive effect on what really matters (under the water) then work towards it.
This.
Also, you acknowledge that you can reduce stroke time and possibly reduce risk of injury… but you don’t want to try it because it feels unnatural.
If you’re really interested in fixing your stroke, hire a coach or even just post a video here. Definitely worth the time and effort if you want to improve your form/speed.
One of the local tri shops has endless pool and they do video analysis, so I stop by this week and try to schedule an appointment.
If you’re not hammering out tons of yardage & comfortable where you’re at then go for it. A straight-arm style is more stress on your shoulders but if yours have taken it fine & you’re within reason then it’s not a big deal. A straighter arm “helps” clear rougher water in open water.
This. I’m also a new swimmer. Maybe 6 months in the water. But 100 time is down from 2:15 to 1:40, thanks mostly to this forum. As my yardage has increased up over 3,000/workout and 10,000+/week I notice very easily technique flaws in the form of shoulder pain. If I’m not rolling and my recovery is flat and stiff I will most definitely be in a world of hurt later that day or the next.
I am not an Olympian or a great coach, just a dude with some personal insight from my very new experience.
You don’t need to change. Bent elbow vs straight arm doesn’t matter. As you mention straight arm recovery can help get higher stroke rates which is good for open water swimming. What’s far more important is what is going on under the water with your catch and pull. Sutton has all his athletes swim straight arm recovery.
Many times when I’ve been coaching some swimmers around your speed, I see the recovery happening too much “over the top” straight arm or otherwise. That is just a result of rotating too much to breathe, ( end up looking straight up at the sky, checking the weather). It’s a different issue but clean that up and the recovery becomes as it should be, relaxed and to the side.
People like to comment on the recovery because it’s easy to see, but it’s just a result of other more important things happening.
You don’t need to change. Bent elbow vs straight arm doesn’t matter. As you mention straight arm recovery can help get higher stroke rates which is good for open water swimming. What’s far more important is what is going on under the water with your catch and pull. Sutton has all his athletes swim straight arm recovery.
Many times when I’ve been coaching some swimmers around your speed, I see the recovery happening too much “over the top” straight arm or otherwise. That is just a result of rotating too much to breathe, ( end up looking straight up at the sky, checking the weather). It’s a different issue but clean that up and the recovery becomes as it should be, relaxed and to the side.
People like to comment on the recovery because it’s easy to see, but it’s just a result of other more important things happening.
That is not the case. It s a individual matter. I have stand on deck with brett for countless hours looking at swimmers. It was a very specific kind of swimmers that would take advantage of straight arms. But for most part, a more normal recovery was what he would pick for the good swimmers and faster guys…
it s a case by case. In my squad of 20 swimmers, i have 2 with who…straight arms recovery is advisable. For all the others…we pick different poison…
I was making assumptions, thanks for the insight Jonnyo!