arm extension

[FrankJ]

Hello,

When I started with TI, about 1 year ago, I got used to spearing the arm in freestyle quite low, at about 4-5 'o clock. This, I suppose, helped me with the balance, and also I found it easier to connect the stroke to body rotation.

More recently, I had a private session with a triathlon instructor that was also very familiar and supportive of TI. He made me change and spear the arm closer to the surface (similar to what can be seen in the videos of Shinji and Terry, among others). It took me a while to get used to it, as I am not very flexible in the shoulders.

So, got back to skating, keeping the arm at about 3-4 o'clok, and overswitch, and it is better now. However, I feel that extending the arm like this, reduces somehow my body rotation, and I am still unsure that it has resulted in easier or faster swimming. As an indication, my SPL is 19-20 still, and it takes me 30s for 25m.

My question is: is it normal that extending the arm higher and 'longer' the body rotation is reduced? Do you have any feedback about this whole thing?

Any suggestions are very much appreciated

Thank you,

Frank

[daveblt]

Actually there is probably going to be more of an effect of less rotation when the arm extends more sideways to the outside of shoulder width than the arm going higher or lower .


Dave

[jasonphang]

Originally Posted by fjconti72

Hello,

When I started with TI, about 1 year ago, I got used to spearing the arm in freestyle quite low, at about 4-5 'o clock. This, I suppose, helped me with the balance, and also I found it easier to connect the stroke to body rotation.

More recently, I had a private session with a triathlon instructor that was also very familiar and supportive of TI. He made me change and spear the arm closer to the surface (similar to what can be seen in the videos of Shinji and Terry, among others). It took me a while to get used to it, as I am not very flexible in the shoulders.

So, got back to skating, keeping the arm at about 3-4 o'clok, and overswitch, and it is better now. However, I feel that extending the arm like this, reduces somehow my body rotation, and I am still unsure that it has resulted in easier or faster swimming. As an indication, my SPL is 19-20 still, and it takes me 30s for 25m.

My question is: is it normal that extending the arm higher and 'longer' the body rotation is reduced? Do you have any feedback about this whole thing?

Any suggestions are very much appreciated

Thank you,

Frank

Hi,

From my TI training and swimming experiences, i think for sure, whether 3, 4 or 5 o'clock arm position, it has to do with your balance position(refer: Terry's Easy Freestyle DVD on X/Y axis position). Each individual swimmer must experiment themself to find their own balance coz of diff in body mass and shape. Best find out th'o skating drill. Also, it is not fixed concept coz when swimming higher speed, your hand postion should changed to higher/closer to water surface(eg. from 5 to 3 o'clock).

Agreed with Dave's view about extending arm more sideway will reduce rotation.

A good body rotation need co-ordination skill and solid timing of all parts: spearing arm, core body power, hip rotation and leg kick. Perfecting this skill, you will feel solid weight shift with smooth and quiet swim :)