Sculling Practice

[Zenturtle]

Doesnt have to be a fault.
Just to keep your feel for the water at the highest level.
Probably one of the many drills.

[sclim]

Originally Posted by s.sciame

Hey Sclim,
if you're into sculling practice you may also like to try this drill:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE4HtrpsrfE

Cheers,
Salvo

Hey Salvo, just a heads up. I really got into this and practiced it incessantly, then integrated into my regular whole stroke catch. It seemed to work really well, and I was really pleased with my progress -- and I thought maybe it added a few cm to my every stroke.

However, in subsequent discussion with Coach Stuart McDougall, he informed me that this coaching technique is rather outdated, and the concern was that if I use this technique as a regular part of my whole stroke, particularly at high volume and force it risks causing injury to my shoulder joint, possibly permanently. So I have omitted it as part of my regular whole stroke catch. Nice insight and learning skill to have acquired, though.

[Zenturtle]

the whole sculling thing can give some insights and water feel, but if its not giving any more improvements after much exercise, you may have reached the point of demimishing returns.
If you are swimming 2.30 min 100m pace there are probably more important things to work on, but its not bad to have some idea how to grab water with the arm.
Its only not so usefull to put a new propellor on a leaking ship (or whatever is going on with the main vessel)

its normal to go trhough drills in circles. St some time in your development its time to do this drill, if the noveltly disappears or you are getting less out of the drill you swim untill you need another etc.

I think the whole shoulder thing is a bit exagerated for low volume relaxed swimming , but ingraining a wide sweep movement at the start could be possible when only doing that drill.
Its all guessing without seeing your stroke offcourse.

[s.sciame]

Originally Posted by sclim

Hey Salvo, just a heads up. I really got into this and practiced it incessantly, then integrated into my regular whole stroke catch. It seemed to work really well, and I was really pleased with my progress -- and I thought maybe it added a few cm to my every stroke.

However, in subsequent discussion with Coach Stuart McDougall, he informed me that this coaching technique is rather outdated, and the concern was that if I use this technique as a regular part of my whole stroke, particularly at high volume and force it risks causing injury to my shoulder joint, possibly permanently. So I have omitted it as part of my regular whole stroke catch. Nice insight and learning skill to have acquired, though.

Hi sclim, yes, that's the risk if you adopt a too high elbow. However, that drill and all sculling drills in general can still be done with lower elbows (ie safer shoulders). What matters in the end is to keep the forearm as vertical as possible.

Another personal experience I'd like to share: I used to spear wide and pull outside the body like Karlyn Pipes. This is dangerous for shoulders as well. Better and safer (at least for me) to spear narrower and pull quite under the body.
Pulling outside the body has for the shoulder the same effect as recoverying with a too high elbow. In both cases, whenever the humerus is outside the shoulders line, shoulders are in danger.

Happy swimming,
Salvo