Are you wondering how to improve your swim? I found some great tips that address where the power in your stroke comes from….certainly the area I need the most work in…..
Put the UMPF near the front!
How many of you have heard this before? "90 percent of your power comes from the last 10 percent of your stroke." This is a true statement if you are swimming with the "S" pull pattern developed in the 1960s. With the "S" pull, the hand/arm enters just inside the shoulder, sweeps out, then in, and finishes with a forceful push. Power is applied at the end of the stroke.
For a more efficient and faster freestyle, try putting the umph near the front. When the umph occurs early in the stroke, the lats, pectorals, biceps and the large muscle groups all along the side of the body are used for power instead of the triceps, which is a very small muscle group.
Here is how you can put the umph near the front with these 5 easy technique tips.
1. START OUT WIDE
Put your arms up as if you were going to do a pull-up. Look up. Where did you place your hands? You probably put them just outside your shoulders since this is where you have the most power and stability.
Apply this same principal to your pull by entering the water with a slightly wider-than-shoulder-width hand placement. Since swimming is not a one-size-fits-all sport, experiment to find the "spacing" that is right for you.
2. EXTEND AND PAUSE
After the hand/arm enters the water, extend or shift the shoulder forward, then pause. This "extend and pause" lengthens the stroke, increase efficiency and allows you time to prepare for the catch. When the pause is rushed or non-existent, the stroke is choppy, "mirror"-like – instead of a more efficient three-quarter catch-up – and you just missed the setup for the power phase.
3. LIFT THE ELBOW
Begin the catch by passively bending or lifting the elbow. The hand, wrist and forearm work as one unit to achieve this high elbow catch. Imagine you are swimming over a very shallow reef – you lift the elbow to prevent your fingertips from scraping the coral. Or, try swimming in a shallow baby pool without touching the bottom. Keep the elbow near the surface and the fingers pointed at the bottom. Do not pull under the body.
4. UMPH NEAR THE FRONT
Once you initiate the catch, apply the umph almost immediately by pressing hard on your "sweet spot" in your wrist and lower palm, then quickly release the pressure as the hand passes the ribcage. Keep your fingertips pointed at the bottom to maintain a solid hold on the water.
5. EARLY RELEASE
After the power phase, relax the wrist, release the energy and allow the hand/arm to flow into the recovery phase. The umph is really quite short, so resist the urge to keep pushing back as this extra effort will only cause you to get stuck at the back and lose tempo, lift and momentum.
DRILL TIME ….
Next time you are in the water, give this drill a try. Swim a series of 25s, alternating umph near the front, then umph at the back, then reverse it. Try a variety of speeds and compare. Which one is faster, more efficient and feels like it has more power? Which one feels more tiring and sluggish? As with any advice, you should be the judge as to what style and technique works best for you.
Thanks to Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen of Aquatic Edge (http://www.aquaticedge.org) and Swimming World Magazine.
