The correct angle at your freestyle catch. There is a lot of talk amongst swimmers and swimming coaches these days in regard to the correct angle at freestyle catch, which is now referred to as “early vertical forearm”. This subject can easily be found via web searches.
Watching the majority of swimmers underwater (I’d say 99%), the common problem is the dropping of elbow, this is a result from a number of things - like lack of strength, or trying to pull the arms back through the water at the elbow, or a lack of water feel. unfortunately - flaws in techniques are often intensified when using paddles
How do you know if you are dropping the elbow?
Is your elbow bone a) facing the bottom of the pool at the catch, or b) is it tilted more outwards to the side. If it is a) then you catch is the wrong angle and you won’t have effective propulsion through the water, if it is b) you will have the correct set up and will be easily able to drop the hand and then forearm into the correct position after catch. Something to think about – we don’t pull our arms through the water, rather rotate our body over our hand, forearm and elbow through correct catch and body roll.
Years ago I invented a device to correct these issues through drills, the swimfassst device is designed to force the correct angle at catch through drills and this will have an immediate conscious and sub conscious effect on your swimming, and understanding what angles hold the water and propel the body through the water. For more information on the swimfassst device contact me craig@seaaustralia.com.au
