EXPERT ADVICE TECHNIQUE TIME
We had a couple of interesting technique questions this month so we asked Paul Newsome, the author of our Swim Plus column and founder of Swim Smooth, to step in as a guest expert
HOW SHOULD I EXTEND MY ARM? I have received some conflicting advice. During the ‘pull’ phase of front crawl, should my arm be extended prety much straight, as if I was trying to reach the floor, or should I push my elbow outwards so my arm hinges and my hand then would travel down my ‘centre-line’? Mark Elkins, via Facebook
Technique expert Paul Newsome says…
This is a good question, and ultimately this position is oſten what characterises the difference between elite and non- elite swimmers. It’s probably best explained by this side-by- side comparison of double-Olympic-gold medallist Rebecca Adlington’s catch and that of one of my triathlete clients. As you can see, Rebecca flexes her elbow during her catch phase in order to press water back behind her, thus sending her efficiently forwards. The swimmer on the leſt makes the classic mistake of pulling too deep and too wide, which only gives her liſt at the front and causes her legs to drop low at the back, thus adding to her drag profile.
I have chosen these two frames because both swimmers are in the process of breathing at this point. Typically, non-elite swimmers will inadvertently pull through with a straight arm at this point to liſt their head to breathe, whereas Rebecca maintains exactly the same catch position as she does in every other stroke – breathing or not. To find out more about how to improve your catch and pull- through, please check out our new Catch Masterclass DVD, as seen on page 55.
PAUL NEWSOME GUEST EXPERT Paul is the founder and head coach of Swim Smooth and is a world-recognised authority on freestyle stroke correction and training methods. Aſter racing as an elite triathlete on the World Class team at Bath University, he now coaches and develops a large squad of swimmers in Perth, Australia.
Rebecca Adlington (right) has a far beter catch position while breathing than non-elite swimmers
WHY AM I GETTING GROIN STRAIN? When swimming outside, I oſten end up with an odd strain in the inner thigh/groin area. It seems to be only on one leg, the one opposite to the side I breathe to (I can’t do bilateral breathing). It doesn’t happen in the pool, only when I race or push hard in open water. Do you have any idea of what might be causing this, and what to do about it? Abel Gomez, via Facebook
Sports injury rehabilitation expert Paul Hobrough says… This is probably due to the breathing technique and sighting used in open water. In order to raise your head higher out of the water, there would be some additional work from the opposite leg into adduction, placing a greater strain onto these muscles that make up the groin. It’s likely that in the pool you swim with your head deeper, and don’t need to liſt your head to sight, so you don’t place so
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much strain in this area. Also, in a wetsuit the legs become a bit redundant for propulsion and it’s likely that you’re having to use the whole hip-and-leg area very differently. My suggestion for avoiding this problem would be to look at some basic adductor strength – especially eccentric work (a slow recovery phase of the exercise), combined with stretching the area. You could try learning bilateral breathing as well, especially for sighting in open water but for future performance development, too.
There are some great swim-coaching companies available with underwater cameras, providing the opportunity to test out my theories regarding your technique. SwimForTri do pool and open water sessions that might be able to help you, as they run sessions around the UK (Tel: +44 (0)20 7001 7511;
swimfortri.co.uk). Whether you get professional coaching or not, this is a weakness that you should seek to strengthen. Good luck!
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