- Catch
- Pull
- Recovery
Each part of your freestyle stroke is important in its own right. With a weak pull, you will be less efficient, meaning you will have to take more arm strokes and use more energy to move up and down the pool. An awkward recovery can lead to shoulder injuries, whilst not holding your catch can cause you to lose balance and stability as well as momentum in the water. Do you find yourself struggling with some of these problems when you are swimming? We are here to help!
Firstly, what is your catch? Most simply your catch means where your arms start and finish in the water. Hold one arm up (in front of your shoulder) whilst the other arm pulls underwater. Your arm should only pull down as the other one comes over your shoulder to enter the water. At Salty Fit we teach all of our students to catch wide which helps to prevent injuries and increase stability. A wide catch will also give you more power by engaging more muscles both in your trunk and shoulders. Holding your catch will increase your glide and minimise resistance in the water.
Your hands and arms act as a pivotal force for propelling your body through the water. Try thinking of your arm as a lever which your body moves up and over. To do this lift your elbow, drop your wrist and then pull back. The stronger your pull is, the further you will travel through the water with each stroke. To be the most efficient swimmer you can be, you need to maximise how far each pull will propel you through the water.
The final phase of your freestyle is your recovery. This is where your arm comes over and re-enters the water. At Salty Fit we encourage our swimmers to recover within your shoulders natural range of movement. We discourage swimming with a bent elbow recovery and over-extending once your hand enters the water as this grinds away at your acromioclavicular joint which can eventually lead to shoulder injuries.
We hope our Salty swimmers find these tips helpful. If you have any questions or need a helping hand in mastering your catch, pull and recovery let us know in your next Salty Fit session.
