Hello all,
We are back and continuing to plug our way through our Freestyle Beginner Progressions. As we have repeated over the course of this series, please make sure to spend time on each element of the freestyle stroke to help your mastery. Over the past two weeks, we have focused on the first two sections of the full Power Phase: the catch, and the true power phase. With those two parts of the stroke, we've initiated momentum and looked to accelerate with it. Now, let's look to attack all the way through the end of our stroke. The finish of freestyle has plenty of interplay with other elements of the stroke which we will discuss in this post!
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The finish of the freestyle stroke is often an unheralded, yet very important element in the course of freestyle. Similarly to not rotating and reaching forward further, not finishing to the end of the stroke leads to momentum left to be desired. Meaning, we're not truly getting everything out of our stroke and cutting a corner to some degree. There are multiple "body lines" as referenced in the video that are important to keep in mind. First, is the vertical line from head toe, as seen in the streamline; there is the midline, which extends as a wall from our chest to the bottom of the pool to keep from crossing over during the catch/pull; and in the case of the finish, there is the hip line, which we should always strive to extend PAST in order to finish to the end of the stroke. The freestyle stroke finish not only helps us maintain acceleration, but also helps time our breathing and influence our rotation. All these elements mesh to create a powerful freestyle!
Fact of the week: Swimming, as much as it is a feel sport, is also a numbers game. How many yards in how many seconds with how many strokes? The goal should always be, however, to do less with more. For example, doing a 50 yd. swim in 32 seconds with 30 strokes, vs. trying again and doing it in 30 seconds with 28 strokes. There's a maximum efficiency curve to your stroke if you truly break it down! That being said, this CANNOT be achieved without truly reaching forward and truly finishing all the way past your hip. Efficiency continues to be the name of the game. Stay tuned and check out YouTube for more!
How does my child move up? Come to every swim class, bring your progress report, earn those stickers, and ask your child's instructor or location's deck manager if you have questions.
How do I move up? Attend as many of your classes as possible, communicate with your instructor on your struggles, goals, and where you're at in our curriculum. We also have many adults who purchase a gym membership to 24 Hour Fitness or LA Fitness while they are taking lessons so they can practice 2-3 times between classes.
Extend your stroke to extend your success! Glad your swimmer is learning to swim with us!
The Sigma Team