https://www.totalimmersion.net/blog/improvement-is-possible-at-any-age-this-can-work-for-you/ Total Immersion Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:58:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1 https://www.totalimmersion.net/blog/improvement-is-possible-at-any-age-this-can-work-for-you/#comment-177 Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:27:12 +0000 http://totalimmersion.net/blog/?p=839#comment-177 Emily, have you gotten any feedback about this? Terry, in my understanding, defers thinking about this to “advanced” TI, since balance and streamline are so important. When you do start to think about propulsion, we like the term “catch,” since what you are trying to do is catch and hold the water as firmly as possible. You start by making your arm “slightly C-shaped” or by “reaching down over the hood of a Volkswagen Beetle,” with a relaxed hand and backward-facing palm. I like the thought that you are planting that hand in the water and moving past it, like an oarswoman planting her oar in the water. Don’t worry about the path of your hand — just catch patiently and try to focus on how firm your grip is. It takes quite a while to get better at this! (Other coaches will have more technical advice; this is a start. Personally, I have never found the idea of “keeping the elbow high” very helpful or doable, but it must work for some people.)

]]> https://www.totalimmersion.net/blog/improvement-is-possible-at-any-age-this-can-work-for-you/#comment-176 Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:48:19 +0000 http://totalimmersion.net/blog/?p=839#comment-176 Dear Todd (and amazing 73-year old pupil). Great to hear about your amazing improvements. I just turned 40 and just started swimming. So your post is great encouragement (and reminded me that 40 is not at all old).
I hope you will be able to help me. I have studied the Perpetual Motion Freestyle video a lot and have already improved my swimming (both time wise anf un wise). But the video does not say anything about how the arm moves through the water in the pull. It is as if there is one lesson missing.
Thus my question is: Once the arm is streached in the skate postion what then? SOmeone told me to keep the arm straight at least until it reaches 90 degrees and then bend at the albow so the elbow stays in place while the hand turns to cross the belly and finally pulls across the belly and up… is this correct?
Thank you for a great blog.
Emily

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