Comments on: Catching Silky Magic

By: coachtraci_

coachtraci_ — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:02:16 +0000

Hi all,
In response to Suzanne’s’what does your catch feel like?’, I like both the imagery and the dryland practice of…extending an arm and reaching up to the back of a high shelf. That gets my elbow and forearm into a great catch position. Then, to feel the catch in this dryland exercise (and subsequent whole stroke), I press my palm onto the shelf and press it down. I can feel my chest and forearm working in tandem to effect a solid catch.

By: CoachBillL

CoachBillL — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:00:38 +0000

Hi Suzanne — I’m following the catch lesson in your subsequent posts with great interest. My observation is that a hurried, ineffective catch is one of the most common “opportunities for improvement” in freestyle, so I’m looking forward to your next lesson. One self-observation: in working on this myself over the last few months (slightly C-shaped arm, draping the arm over a large exercise ball, etc.) I’ve slowly developed persistent medial epicondyle pain; while swimming, I can turn it off by being extremely attentive to exerting very light pressure during the catch, and by trying to make the arm really slightly C-shaped. Any real bend in the elbow — hurts! This may, or may not, be a 60+ problem…

By: CoachSuzanne

CoachSuzanne — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:29:28 +0000

Hi Bill. Yes, it’s exceedingly difficult. But what I wrote here is what was in my brain at the time…and it’s something that I’ve been striving to do for 2 years with increasing effort…not just at executing a proper catch, but at trying to understand it as well. I agree that a visual/video would help…but if these were an easy thing to describe in words, I doubt there would be SO MUCH written, and misunderstood about it. I mean, 2+2=4. How much ambiguity is there about that one? but Googling “2+2=4″ reveals only 1/10th as many returns as “freestyle pull”. I know that’s hardly defining. Interesting nonetheless. Also intersting is that the #1 webpage returned when googling 2+2=4 is a page titled, 2+2=5. Just goes to show you that nothing is writ in stone.

By: CoachBillL

CoachBillL — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:03:57 +0000

Suzanne, I find it’s often very difficult to translate one’s perceptions of physical actions into communicable language, and in fact, I have little or no idea from the above of what you are describing. “Silky magic” is no help at all. Perhaps a drawing or video might help?

Bill

By: andyinnorway

andyinnorway — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:25:23 +0000

Your description is exactly what I have been feeling in the water the last few weeks. I nearly got there on a forum post last week when I suggested standing on tip toes as you practice vertical forearm on land to emulate the momentum you have in the water.

the way you describe the elbow continuing its movement over the rest of the arm is much easier to understand and encourages a flowing movement rather than a halt to the stroke. nice job,.

By: terry

terry — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:16:03 +0000

Suzanne – Catching silky magic is the perfect title for this piece. The feeling you describe – of the arm just falling into place – is elusive for me as well and just as magical when it happens. I feel I get a moment’s glimpse of what it might feel like to have the ‘water feel’ of an elite swimmer. I think the way to make it more consistent is by letting it become consistent at a slower tempo, then an infinitesimally faster one . . . etc.