Proper Freestyle Swim Stroke - Arm Extension

How To Extend Your Arm For Proper Freestyle Swim Stroke

A good arm extension has a number of significant benefits. Among them are improved catching of the water better body rotation and longer glide. All of which contribute to a proper freestyle swim stroke. For the beginner, the most important is improved catch and better body rotation.

A longer glide will make distances easier and less exhausting but frankly, the more you relax into a stroke with good rotation and catch, the better you glide will be anyway, so there is no need to concentrate on the glide yet.

The drill in the video below can also be done by using a kickboard rather than the stick. I say this because many beginners feel more comfortable with a kickboard than with a stick.

It doesn't show it in the video but the forearm going under the stick or kickboard is very important as it encourages rotation, another important skill that contributes to an efficient stroke.

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There is another advantage that using a kickboard offers. Many adults that have not had the opportunity to learn to swim from an early age sometimes have difficulty getting used to bending their arms so that they don't slap the water as they enter it with each stroke.

I have never quite worked out why this is but it does seem to be associated with there fear and the need to try and grab hold of something even though they know there is nothing for them to grab. In any case, if this is you or one of your students then this drill can be useful in convincing wayward arms to go where they are most efficient.

Enjoy     
Richard