WEEK 7 & 8 – CATCH
This week we worked on the arm stroke. It’s part of the stroke that is
widely misunderstood and usually not broken down into pieces in a way that
makes it understandable. There are three points:
1)
There is a specific amount of rotation for each
individual that best sets up their arm to make the catch, usually between
45-60deg. This is based on shoulder flexibility. If over-rotation occurs, the
catch is typically lost.
2)
The vast majority of swimmers should use a high-elbow
catch type of stroke. It places the least strain on the shoulder and gives the
widest range of motion with the forearm in a vertical position
3)
There is no pressure at the front end of the stroke as
the hand and forearm move to the vertical position. It seems counter-intuitive
that part of the stroke should be “passive”, but in reality, even most Olympic
swimmers do it this way.
Note: Take a look at the catch broken down into pieces in the
“Freestyle Stroke: Frame-By-Frame” blog on the same page as the class blogs.
In this clip, Natalie Coughlin has made a “high elbow catch” with her
right arm. Her forearm and hand are vertical in the water and positioned in
front of her head. This is the position we want to strengthen with drills. Side
Kick and Sculling drills put the shoulder in this forward position and show how
to apply force from there.
We begin with setting up the body via the Side Kick drill.
Side Kick (face down to breathe out) –
Natalie rotates more than some, about 60deg here. Notice her palm is
flat out front, armpit is facing the bottom. She has very good shoulder
mobility as do all professional swimmers. You may rotate less in order to keep
your armpit toward the bottom. For the drill, you’ll put your head down and
press your cheek to your armpit, looking straight at the bottom. Your kick will
be angled with your body.
Natalie works so well from side to side, landing in perfect side kick
position each stroke.
Phelps from below (check out the double-jointed elbow). Perfect lines
on the right and left side. As he pulls with the left, there is little
resistance side-to-side. As he extends the right, even though that side is much
lower, his right leg is up out of view, producing little resistance as it gets
ready to kick down.
Swim with Focus On Landing In Side Kick Position –
Practice Set:
Warm-up (400yd) –
easy swimming, focused on lower abs in, eyes on the bottom, even rotation,
especially to the non-breathing side. Alternately you may do posture work on
deck and then focus on each posture point for equal distances.
Drill Set:
Do this set twice through in order to practice everything more than
once. Another good practice is to drill down the pool and swim back with a
skill focus. Either way, 500-1000yd of varied practice will make a tremendous
difference.
Side Kick (100yd) – one arm
is out for 25yd and then switch to the other for the return trip. Palm flat,
armpit facing down, head down, body rotated up as much as possible without
changing the first three points.
Side Kick Switch (100yd) –
Note: Make sure your head stays still through the switch from one side
to the other, as if it’s on a skewer.
Do 10 kicks in the Side Kick position (head down), then begin to
recover the arm from your side. As it passes your head, begin to pull through
with the extended arm, take a breath and get your head down, ending in the Side
Kick position on the other side. 10 more kicks and then switch again.
Swim “The Rails” (100yd) –
focus on landing in perfect side kick position every stroke. Imagine there are
a set of rails beneath you, about a foot apart, and that the length of your
arm, the side of your body, and your leg must land on one rail before every
stroke. Breathe every 3-5 strokes so you can feel it on both sides.
Sculling (100yd) – You’ll be
face down, kicking lightly to keep your body at the surface. As we did in
class, shrug your shoulders forward to move your elbows out beside your head.
Your forearms will be hanging straight down beneath them. Now perform the small
sculling motions with your hands, sometimes described as “figure eights”. You
should feel pressure on both the in- and out-scull.
Swim (100yd) – Extend fully
into the Side Kick position you just practiced. From there, slowly drop the
hand and forearm down into the water, allowing your body’s momentum to carry
you over that hand. Wait until your forearm is vertical before pulling back.
For many of you this will feel “late”. There will be a surge forward as you
pull and slowing as you glide over your catch.
Note: This slowing
down happens with all swimmers. Even Olympians sometimes slow 50% in this zone,
as they make their catch. It’s hard to see with the naked eye unless you’ve
been watching swimming for years. Center of Mass studies, time and again, have
shown this to happen. As you increase arm turnover, this delay lasts a shorter
amount of time.
