PULL PATTERN
You’ll notice we have two different paths that the arms take with our two swimmers. This swimmer is VERY fast and strong. His arms will be held straighter through the pull. This long lever provides him with a very large surface to push on the water. This can be experimented with, but you should be careful not to use this form too often until you’re strong enough, as it does give more push, it also puts more strain on your shoulders. This swimmer has a more traditional bent elbow pull which is best for most people. This bent arm position can help you take pressure off the shoulders and move it to the big muscles in your side and back. However, the short lever, more bend in the elbow, doesn’t create the hand speed the other pull provides. Here’s what’s important to know about both of these pull patterns. The hands. While there may be a slight insweep that you can see, it’s very subtle. What the athlete is thinking of is pulling straight through, or keeping the hands in a simple line from front to back. There will be that slight natural movement of a little in and out, but the idea will be to keep the pull linear, or straight from front to back as much as possible. Keep it simple!
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