Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Level and High Elbow
There are two ways to increase speed in the water
1) Reduce Resistance
2) Increase Power
Here are two concepts for to consider and practice
1) LEVEL
For reducing resistance BEING LEVEL is very important. (last time I talked about being thin) Watch other swimmers in the pool from underneath the water. Some swim with their head above the surface and their hips about 6 inches below the water and their feet about 1 foot under the water. This isn't level. In this case, the swimmer is dragging their body through the water. Imagine a kick board. If the kick board is held against (perpendicular) the direction of movement there is lots of resistance. If the kick board is pointed in the direction of movement (parallel to the movement) there is much less resistance. If the kick board is at an angle, there is less resistance than being perpendicular, but more resistance that being parallel. The swimmer I described above is at an angle to the water and could find a swimming position that would create less resistance.
How do you do this? If you imagine your body being in the water horizontal to the bottom, then where would your head be? If your head were out of the water then in order to be horizontal, your entire body has to be out of the water (or at least most of it). But since that can't happen and since part of the body has to be under water, the swimmer's back half of the body sinks to support the head out of the water. Ok, you say "I don't do that!!!", but your head doesn't have to be very far up to cause your feet to sink. When you swim free, fly, or breast, you should be looking at the bottom of the pool. If you look up, you loose the level position. Many of us were taught to swim with the water level just above the eyebrows, but the water level should be in the middle of the head.
A drill for being level. Using fins helps make this drill easier and lets you get a feel of being level. Kick on your side with one arm by our side and one arm above your head. The arm above your head should be 6 to 8" below the water. The arm on your side should be at the surface of the water. Your head should be in line with your spine. You should be looking at the wall. Your body should be perfectly straight. Kick one length of the pool on one side and one length of the pool on the other side. When you need to breath, turn your head up to get a breath and then put it right back down. Do this a bunch of times. This drill is meant to help you get the feel of being level in the water.
2) HIGH ELBOW
High elbow is not referring to the elbow position when your arm is out of the water, but the position of the elbow relative to the wrist. Think about standing up at a table from a sitting position and using your arms to assist you. First stick your hands on the table in front off you , lean towards the table, and then push your body up. Where are your elbows? They should be above your wrists. Try doing this with your wrists below your elbows. It's harder. Now, instead of standing up from a table, imagine you are lying flat in the water and you want to push your body forward with the same movement. In order to repeat what you did before, your wrists should lead in front of your elbow. Most age group swimmers lead with their elbow. This does not provide as much leverage on the water. When swimming crawl, you should reach forward and think about wrapping your arm around a barrel. This will get you to the "high elbow" position. As you pull and your arm passes below your body, the forearm should make a 90 degree angle with the upper arms.
Drills for high elbow.
1) On land
a) reach right arm straight out in front your palm facing down
b) bend the arm at the elbow so the fingers point down
c) repeat with the left arm
d) now extend the right arm to towards the ceiling with the palm facing foward
e) bend the arm at the elbw so the fingers point to the wall in front of you
f) repeat with the left arm
g) do the right arm again
h) do the left arm again
This is the "catch" of the crawl stroke. This positions your arm for power. This is not a power move, but a move to set up for power. The most power comes between the neck and the waist. Power doesn't come from the furthest extention of the arm. The first movement of the arm on the pull is one that sets up the arm for power.
Drills in the water.
Using fins. Do 1 arm free style, but do it slowly. First reach out and bend at the elbow. Then accelerate the arm towards your feet with the wrist leading the elbow.
1) Reduce Resistance
2) Increase Power
Here are two concepts for to consider and practice
1) LEVEL
For reducing resistance BEING LEVEL is very important. (last time I talked about being thin) Watch other swimmers in the pool from underneath the water. Some swim with their head above the surface and their hips about 6 inches below the water and their feet about 1 foot under the water. This isn't level. In this case, the swimmer is dragging their body through the water. Imagine a kick board. If the kick board is held against (perpendicular) the direction of movement there is lots of resistance. If the kick board is pointed in the direction of movement (parallel to the movement) there is much less resistance. If the kick board is at an angle, there is less resistance than being perpendicular, but more resistance that being parallel. The swimmer I described above is at an angle to the water and could find a swimming position that would create less resistance.
How do you do this? If you imagine your body being in the water horizontal to the bottom, then where would your head be? If your head were out of the water then in order to be horizontal, your entire body has to be out of the water (or at least most of it). But since that can't happen and since part of the body has to be under water, the swimmer's back half of the body sinks to support the head out of the water. Ok, you say "I don't do that!!!", but your head doesn't have to be very far up to cause your feet to sink. When you swim free, fly, or breast, you should be looking at the bottom of the pool. If you look up, you loose the level position. Many of us were taught to swim with the water level just above the eyebrows, but the water level should be in the middle of the head.
A drill for being level. Using fins helps make this drill easier and lets you get a feel of being level. Kick on your side with one arm by our side and one arm above your head. The arm above your head should be 6 to 8" below the water. The arm on your side should be at the surface of the water. Your head should be in line with your spine. You should be looking at the wall. Your body should be perfectly straight. Kick one length of the pool on one side and one length of the pool on the other side. When you need to breath, turn your head up to get a breath and then put it right back down. Do this a bunch of times. This drill is meant to help you get the feel of being level in the water.
2) HIGH ELBOW
High elbow is not referring to the elbow position when your arm is out of the water, but the position of the elbow relative to the wrist. Think about standing up at a table from a sitting position and using your arms to assist you. First stick your hands on the table in front off you , lean towards the table, and then push your body up. Where are your elbows? They should be above your wrists. Try doing this with your wrists below your elbows. It's harder. Now, instead of standing up from a table, imagine you are lying flat in the water and you want to push your body forward with the same movement. In order to repeat what you did before, your wrists should lead in front of your elbow. Most age group swimmers lead with their elbow. This does not provide as much leverage on the water. When swimming crawl, you should reach forward and think about wrapping your arm around a barrel. This will get you to the "high elbow" position. As you pull and your arm passes below your body, the forearm should make a 90 degree angle with the upper arms.
Drills for high elbow.
1) On land
a) reach right arm straight out in front your palm facing down
b) bend the arm at the elbow so the fingers point down
c) repeat with the left arm
d) now extend the right arm to towards the ceiling with the palm facing foward
e) bend the arm at the elbw so the fingers point to the wall in front of you
f) repeat with the left arm
g) do the right arm again
h) do the left arm again
This is the "catch" of the crawl stroke. This positions your arm for power. This is not a power move, but a move to set up for power. The most power comes between the neck and the waist. Power doesn't come from the furthest extention of the arm. The first movement of the arm on the pull is one that sets up the arm for power.
Drills in the water.
Using fins. Do 1 arm free style, but do it slowly. First reach out and bend at the elbow. Then accelerate the arm towards your feet with the wrist leading the elbow.
# posted by gladorca's blog @ 7:13 PM 
