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The Good, The Bad, and a Whole Lotta Ugly - Please critique my swim video

Mark CardinaleMark Cardinale
in General Training Discussions

I had the opportunity to have my swim recorded this past weekend.  It was a very good experience because the video clearly shows me doing things i could have sworn i was not doing.  I'd like to get some additional feedback from the haus in terms of my stroke deficiencies and suggestions for what i can to improve.  I have pretty thick skin, so go ahead and let me have it!    Thanks!!!

Video#1

Video#2

Video#3

 

Comments

  • Coach PatrickCoach Patrick
    Mark, they are short clips, but the one thing I focus on is your lack of a catch. Body position is good, kick isn't excessive. But it seems to me like you catch with the palm of your hand (vs your forearm) and lead the pull back with your elbow through the first half. Getting the palm there means you are thinking about it, now the trick is getting to a place where your elbow pops up and you feel the tug on your lats vs your forearms / shoulders.

    Anyone else?
  • Al TruscottAl Truscott
    Mark, so what should you be thinking about/feeling to achieve what Patrick is suggesting? You are *starting* you catch with your palm nearly at the surface of the water and nearly horizontal. Maybe think about driving your hand downwards as it enters the water. So that, when your arm finishes its forward movement, your palm is more like 8-15" below the surface, and your fingers/palm are already angled sharply down. You should be *feeling* upward pressure on your elbow at this point, along with a feeling that the upper part of your forearm is working a bit to get itself more vertical as quickly as possible.

    Remember, any downward movement of your forearm while trying to "pull back" will disrupt your efforts to remain horizontal in the water, meaning more work for your core and kick.
  • Al TruscottAl Truscott
    Mark, so what should you be thinking about/feeling to achieve what Patrick is suggesting? You are *starting* you catch with your palm nearly at the surface of the water and nearly horizontal. Maybe think about driving your hand downwards as it enters the water. So that, when your arm finishes its forward movement, your palm is more like 8-15" below the surface, and your fingers/palm are already angled sharply down. You should be *feeling* upward pressure on your elbow at this point, along with a feeling that the upper part of your forearm is working a bit to get itself more vertical as quickly as possible.

    Remember, any downward movement of your forearm while trying to "pull back" will disrupt your efforts to remain horizontal in the water, meaning more work for your core and kick.
  • jrevillejreville
    Mark, these are short clips but I've got a few suggestions. First is what Al mentioned above. When your hand enters the water it needs to reach just below the surface. So it enters and then you reach forward (not across) with that arm. When you reach, your hand should be directed slightly below the surface s0 when you start your pull your hand is about 8-12" below the surface. Think of it as swimming downhill. This will eliminate many of those bubbles with each pull so you are pulling water and not air. Pulling air does not move you forward. Second - you are cupping your hand or bending your wrist to "catch the water". Your hand and wrist should be straight (or nearly straight) when you start the pull. The first thing to bend should be your elbow. Always keep it high so you are pulling with your whole arm, not just your hand. This is where Coach P mentions pulling with lats and not shoulders. Third, you need to finish each pull with your hand down to your thigh. Right now your pull is complete when your hand gets to your waist. Your arms will always try to stay opposite each other so reaching with one will allow you to finish with the other. Remember swimming is about efficiency, so getting more distance per stroke will help. Good luck.
  • Mike RobertsMike Roberts

    Hey Mark,

    Thanks for posting.  The good news is, you've got pretty good position, rotation and kick.  Your head pops up just a bit when you breath.  I can't tell from the video whether you're exhaling as soon as your head's back down in the water or if you're holding it, then exhaling on the way up.  If you hold it, your time above the water is extended, head goes up, feet go down, rhythm disrupted.  But, as the others have pointed out, you have a weak catch and pull.  Classic low elbow.  Just freeze the videos a few times where your hand is a foot below the water - your elbow is equal or lower.  So . . . you're using your (small and weak) biceps and shoulders to support your (small) hand moving (a little bit of) water.  Engage that hand + forearm and use bigger chest and lats to move a lot more water.  At the bottom of the pull, push water from the top of your hip to the bottom.  Right now, your hand is kind of passively waving at the water as you begin recovery.

    As for high elbow, the first step is to make sure you have the ROM to achieve it.  I spend a lot of time with my hands above my head, one over the other, stretching against the top of a door frame.  Here's a good video showing the ROM you need (also, you can compare his elbow position to yours and see how he pushes water at the end of the pull). www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbp_UEqVfeo Like I said, the good news is you've got one big item to focus on, and it will deliver serious time gains.

    Mike

  • Tom GlynnTom Glynn
    @Mike, thanks for the video! I can barely get my hands off the floor. I've got some work to do.
  • Mark CardinaleMark Cardinale

    Thank you, everyone, for the valuable feedback!!  As each of you has stated, i was surprised how much i was pushing down on the water as opposed to pushing water behind me.  If you were to have asked me if this was a problem i would have sworn that i was efficient in this are.  Obviously not, and that is the power of video.

    @AL, what you mention about the balance issue that happens when pushing down...I do feel this at times when fatigued.  I suspect my body position looks pretty good because the video was shot of me doing 50's with lots of rest.  Had the video been 600 yards into an 800 yard set i suspect my body position might look different.

    @Jay, i like the mental image of finishing with one hand while extending with the other.  The opposite feeling seemed like something i could feel during my swim today.  I also tried to finish my extension a bit deeper as well.

    @Mike - My ROM is severely limited.  I watched the video and i can barely touch my hands while lying face down on the ground.  Needless to say i have a very weak streamline.  I tried the door frame stretch and i like it and i feel things stretching in a good way.  

     

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