If you’re unsure about what you should be doing in your catch and pull, and if you’re finding it difficult to understand and learn, this video will teach you the four key positions to swim faster. Plus, there’s an easy, simple drill we use in our training sessions to help you learn this.
1. Start of the Catch
- The starting catch position involves having the arm out in front, with full extension, fingers by the wrist, and the wrist below the elbow
2. High Elbow Catch
- The second position to aim for is the high elbow catch
- In this position, the fingertips should be pointing towards the bottom of the pool
- When drawing an imaginary line from the shoulder to the fingertips, the elbow should be above that line
3. Power Diamond
- The shoulder, elbow, and hand should be aligned when viewed from the side
- This alignment is referred to as the “happy family” by Annie Jones
- Having the hand aligned underneath the shoulder provides more surface area for pressing back
- It is common to see people with the hand too far out in front in this position
4. Hand Exit
- Position number four is the exit
- Palm of the hand should be facing mostly behind you
- There should be a bit of bend in the elbow
- The bend in the elbow helps in easily coming out of the top of the water
YMCA Drill
- Helps with the underwater phase of the freestyle stroke
- The positions are represented by the letters Y, M, C, and A
- Helps with muscle memory and developing a feel for the stroke positions
It’s time to break free from this frustrating plateau and start making real progress in your swimming journey!
Trying to swim faster by pushing yourself to work harder usually leaves you exhausted and out of breath without improving your speed. With our 8-week Faster Freestyle course, we’ll show you exactly what you need to do to become a better swimmer by mastering these advanced techniques:
✔️Breathing And Relaxation
✔️Posture, Head Position, And Kick
✔️Balance, Alignment, And Hand Position
✔️Rotation, Recovery, And Entry
✔️The Catch
✔️The Power Diamond
✔️Kick Timing
Start your journey with the 8-Week Faster Freestyle and feel the difference in your swimming immediately!
P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 3 ways I can help you improve your swimming:
1. Join our 8-week Faster Freestyle program.
If you’re looking for a step-by-step way to become a faster swimmer in the next 8 weeks with the precise drills and workouts to do it, this is it – Click here
2. Join our Effortless Swimming membership for swimmers ready to move up a lane.
If you’re unsure where to start and what to do to find speed, I’m working with a group of swimmers and triathletes to increase their speed, efficiency, and swim fitness. – Click here
3. Work with me directly in our stroke analysis coaching.
If you’d like to work directly with me to take you from where you’re at to 15+ secs faster per 100m, you can record your swimming each week… – Click here
