Can
you imagine a rower trying to move if you cut off their paddle at the
end of their oar? Pulling just the shaft (pole) through the water
without the paddle wouldn’t get them far. But this is what many swimmers
do everyday…
At
our recent freestyle clinics in Brisbane and the Gold Coast we got to
see just how important this pole vs paddle concept was. We’re now using
underwater filming throughout our clinics, and we constantly refer to it
during each stage of the clinic to show our swimmers what they’re doing
compared to what they should be doing. The results within three hours
have been quite dramatic, with swimmers reducing their stroke count by
up to 12 strokes per 50m. Stroke count can be a great indicator of a
swimmers efficiency so long as they aren’t over-gliding to reduce their
count.
One
of the reasons swimmers are able to improve by this much is by improving
the angle of their pull to make it more like a paddle, rather than a
pole. The angle of the arm during the pull phase plays an important role
to how much water you can ‘press’.
We
have our swimmers aim for a range of 100-130 degrees through the arm as
they’re about to move past their shoulder. Most beginner to intermediate
swimmers tend to be between 150-180.
Pulling with a paddle -
Professional triathlete Annabel Luxford in desired range of 100-130
degree arm angle when passing the shoulder
Pulling with a pole - Outside desired range of 100-130 degree arm angle. This swimmer is at a 160 degree arm angle.
One
important thing to note is that the elbow should be in line or above the
line of the arm when viewing from the side. This requires good
flexibility through the shoulders. See the streamline test to check your shoulder flexibility.
Sometimes a swimmer can be pulling with
the correct angle from the front, but may be dropping their elbow when
viewing from the side. The elbow should not drop below the yellow line
during this phase of the pull. Professional triathlete Annabel Luxford
demonstrates a good position here.
Sometimes
a swimmer can be pulling with the correct angle from the front, but may
be dropping their elbow when viewing from the side. The elbow should
not drop below the yellow line during this phase of the pull.
Professional triathlete Annabel Luxford demonstrates a good position
here.
Swimmers who are above a 2:00/100m pace
for 400m will usually need to make some other changes to their stroke
before focusing on the pull.
In
our freestyle clinics we first focus on achieving the right body
position, breathing, recovery and entry with our swimmers before
developing their pull. Some of the best drills for this are front scull,
top to bottom scull and single arm freestyle. They allow a swimmer to
get a feel for having a wider, higher elbow position during the pull
which opens up the forearm and hand to press back on the water.
Our freestyle stroke development system is taught in the Effortless Freestyle program.
At our freestyle clinics you'll work closely with our coaches to
develop each part of your stroke. We have the following freestyle
clinics in your area which are coached by Effortless Swimming head coach
Brenton Ford and professional triathlete and coach Mitchell Kibby:
Perth – 9am-12pm at HBF Stadium – June 28th, 2015
Perth – 1-4pm at HBF Stadium – June 28th, 2015
Adelaide – 2-5pm at State Swim, Morphett Road – July 4th, 2015 (Sold out)
Sydney – 9.30am-12.30pm at Knox Grammar School, Wahroonga – July 5th, 2015
Sydney – 1-4pm at Knox Grammar School, Wahroonga – July 5th, 2015
Melbourne – 2-5pm at Wesley College, St Kilda – July 11th, 2015 (Sold Out)
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Click here to book your spot today
Remember, pull with a paddle not a pole!
Effortless Swimming
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Effortless Swimming, 3/31 Levanto St, Mentone VIC 3194
