Underwater Pull or Catch ...

[flppr]

whenever i reach to open a door, i start with my arm and hand in ti catch position. i've got it bad.

[Janos]

flippr, that is serious...but it has to be better than using your kick to open it!

[flppr]

Originally Posted by Janos

flippr, that is serious...but it has to better than using your kick to open it!

its even worse than that. i made up a dance called the evf two-step. it looks a little like the monster mash.

[borate]

Originally Posted by flppr

I made up a dance called the evf two-step. It looks a little like the monster mash.

Well then, the only thing missing is the accompaniment...

[flppr]

Originally Posted by borate

Well then, the only thing missing is the accompaniment...

awesome! thanks for that. maybe i'll round up the cryptkicker five and post a little something on the web. i'll tell them borate sent me.

[Janos]

you have something there flippr. The EVF monstermash would have to be accompanied by 2b time music...or would 6b be too fast?

[flppr]

Originally Posted by Janos

you have something there flippr. The EVF monstermash would have to be accompanied by 2b time music...or would 6b be too fast?

I haven't put it together yet, but I'd like to include both the slower and the faster paces, with the arms, at least.

[seungew]

Hey fellow TI'ers -- do you think it helps to think of your arm as an "anchor" when doing the pull/catch phase of one's stroke so that when you're swimming you can be more conscious of utilizing the larger core muscles like the lats, abs, and upper arm ?

[aerogramma]

Originally Posted by Janos

Hi Seungew,

I do a lot of work on my EVF, and in my own case, I found it was not lack of flexibility that was the issue in achieving it, but having the presence of mind to apply it fully and evenly. I think it is far more important than others believe it to be. If mastery of TI is the art of rotating your body past a patient catch hand, in a smooth and efficient way, then it must follow that the more stable and patient that catch is,and the earlier it is applied, then the faster and more efficient your progress will be. Every inch that your catch hand slips back from the vertical is one inch you are not travelling forward.
If you wish to swim 25m in 12 strokes then your body must travel approximately 2m with each stroke. When your catch arm arrives at its most propulsive point, which is vertical, your range of further catch movement is the length of your arm, that is what you have to play with to send your body 2m, so it makes sense to me to maximise the amount of time you have on each stroke to get a grip on the water. Also, the deeper your arm goes, the more drag it creates. So a compact recovery should be followed by a compact catch in my opinion. If you can mimic the EVF technique in the mirror, then there should be no reason why you cannot apply it in the pool. That has been my approach in training, where a bit of rigour will free your arms from believing they hold you up in the water. Wide tracks can be a beneficial training thought, to avoid crossing them, but if you use them as stabilisers, you will never achieve an early enough catch.

Kind Regards

Janos

Hello Janos,
don't know if you are still reading this but I'll try..you're points gave a lot of food for thought and experimentation at the pool...

when you say that someone could use their arms as stabilizers do you mean overgliding by any chance?

I was also wondering if any kind soul out there would make a graphical representation of a good catch tecnique. Maybe is a language thing but expressions like 'over the barell' or 'VW bumper' are really hard to visualize in any useful way for me.

aero

[Janos]

Hi Aero,

Thanks for your reply. Like most TI swimmers I am always logging on to see what is being debated.
In response to your questions. My comment about arms being used as stabilisers means them being used to aid balance and stability. You must master balance with the torso, and maintain a constant head position without relying on your outstretched leading arm. If you don't, you will have problems initiating the catch, and your head may start bobbing up and down on each stroke, with legs also dropping. The 'glide phase' often used to criticise TI is a myth. Your arms are constantly moving. Driven by your hips, and sending your torso forward. How far forward is a measure of your efficiency. Which is of course measured by lap time and stroke count.
When I think of the catch in relation to my body movement I liken it to trying to climb a wide ladder with just my elbows. You must rotate your body against a static elbow to climb each rung.

Kind Regards

Janos