I recently found out that doing the S motion with you hand during your power phase has gone out of style. Now the idea is "catch and pull."
Does anybody still swim with the S? Any noticable power differences between the styles?
I suppose only folks who had swimming lessons about 10 years ago or learned to swim before then have any idea what im talking about:D .
remeber reading about the "S" in Dave Scott's training book but think total immersion is more in style.
Oh yeah, i don't argue the S is out of style. Just how I was taught.
I'm not familiar with TI, but my competive swimer friends tell me today people swim as if the catch their hand in the water and move their body past it, using the hand and forearm.
Just curious if people swim like I do, or any opinions.
I started competitive swimming 25 years ago so I remember, and used to teach and coach the "S". I was not aware that anything had changed, but I have been out of the game since the early 90's.
I did the "S" until about 2003. I had my stroke overhauled and almost immediately dropped under a 22 sec fifty after that. Switching to catch-and-pull took about a 1/2 second off my time. I don't have any distance numbers since I didn't start swimming distance until 2005. My coach back then put it this way: grab a barrel floating in the water and pull yourself over it. I still catch myself doing the "S" when I'm not thinking about it, but I definitely feel more power with the new stroke. It took a lot of coaching to develop a new style to the point where it really was faster, so I wouldn't switch styles of swimming unless you have a really good coach who can work with you on getting it exactly right.
"S" as in "sculling?"
Ok, I just learned how to really swim like 3 years ago and I was taught to do the sculling motion, which I think was the reverse "S." Anyone know of any links to videos I can watch to see the "catch and pull?"
Thanks.
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwvMKdnQW-I&mode=related&search=[/url]
[url]http://youtube.com/watch?v=P31XJ16C4Ag[/url]
catch a barrel, pull yourself over. makes swimming a 1:44 200 LCM look easy.
[QUOTE=grlawguy;63339]"S" as in "sculling?"
Ok, I just learned how to really swim like 3 years ago and I was taught to do the sculling motion, which I think was the reverse "S." Anyone know of any links to videos I can watch to see the "catch and pull?"
Thanks.[/QUOTE]
I think the left hand makes an s and the right makes a reverse s. Imagine doing both hands and s.
Oh my, the last swimming classes I've had were in the early 90s. I've been using the old technique. Thinking about it though, the barrel is much more natural than the "S"! I gotta try it.
Thanks for the Ian Thorpe videos links, it really speaks for itself!
[QUOTE=UFTriGator;63341 catch a barrel, pull yourself over. makes swimming a 1:44 200 LCM look easy.[/QUOTE]
What are some of the drills your coach had you use to switch over? In looking at my stroke vs the videos, my arms are much straighter during my catch. My hands are a lot further away from my body then Thorpe's in that video. I understand the theory is that if you were to try to lift yourself out of the water (or over the barrell) you do so with your arms closer to your body rather than straight out for better leverage. This is really evident in the head on video of Thorpe. When I try that however I feel like I am 'short arming' my stroke, especially on my entry. With my stroke now I can do a sub 1:00 100 off the wall, so I'm not slow but I would be interested in trying to get my hands closer for more power.
PS: Man Thorpe is flying in the side video. You can just tell the thrust coming from just his kick is unreal!
I can totally relate. I learned to swim competively ~15-20 years ago. In the last year or so I've gone back to masters with a really good coach and had my stroke completely overhauled. The S isn't completely gone, it's been toned back and they're using a different visual. I'm struggling more with letting go of the "reach" style.
When I first learned the new technique, she sat at the end of the pool for almost an hour while I did repeats straight towards her. It's been a long time since I learned it, but I think I remember what she had me do when I was learning: I'd do one hard stroke, then kick on my side and repeat for the length. After I got that down, I'd do three hard strokes then kick on the side, then five, then straight swimming. I spent a long time just working on getting the muscle memory there with the single and triple strokes...probably 10-15 minutes each, making slight adjustments to find where the most power was. The coach stood right there analyzing it the whole time and fine tuning all the little things. I don't think I could watch someone and know exactly how to fine tune like she does; she went to conferences and seminars all the time to learn all this stuff, and I just did what she told me. It worked, but you'll need a really good coach who knows the technique really well to help you get it right.
Man I wish I could kick like Thorpe.....little kids pass me during kick sets!
The "I" stroke is the new way to swim.