In November 2016, 4-time Olympian and noted author, Sheila Taormina, delivered an enthusiastic and insightful presentation to 150 coaches at the National Coaches Clinic in San Mateo, CA.  Taormina's session was called "Beyond Mechanics: Coaching a Propulsive Freestyle Stroke" and focused on the power generated underwater. 

Hand entry & catch

Old freestyle advice involved your hand entering the water in front of your head, then tracking to a target on your centerline. The newer method suggests that your hand enters the water and moves forward in alignment with your shoulder. As the arm extends and the hand starts to "catch" water, the elbow pops up slightly, allowing the hand, wrist, and arm to become a bigger paddle, giving you a bigger surface area and a bigger pull. This is referred to as a "high elbow catch." This bigger paddle gets you more resistance and traction during the pull, which moves you forward down the lane.  

Arm pull

As the hand/arm creates resistance and the pulling motion begins, the hand/arm should track out slightly, in a motion similar to a small question mark. Some coaches and swimmers think of the pulling motion as a straight arm pull, but Taormina thinks differently. After the catch and the elbow pop, your hand should track outward toward the lane line between 4 and 8 inches, or about one to two hand-widths.      

Right around the time the arm crosses the chin line, the arm starts to move inward back toward the body. With the new propulsive freestyle stroke described by Taormina, your arm tracks in toward your body only as far as your shoulder line, rather than all the way to the center line. 

Finish

I used to tell my swimmers that your hand should pull to where your pockets would be if you were wearing slacks. However, with the newer propulsive freestyle stroke, pretend you are wearing blue jeans and put your fingers in that weird tiny pocket that is above the regular pocket. Taormina suggests that once your hand tracks back to this area, you end the pulling motion and finish phase. Next your hand would exit the water and you would begin the recovery stage.  

Of course, learning to have a propulsive freestyle stroke involves many items and details, i.e., moving body parts, rotation, kicking, an open mind, and more! If you are looking for more info, you might want to read Swim Speed Secrets for Swimmers and Triathletes by Sheila Taormina. Gaining a better picture and understanding of what is happening during the pulling motion can make a big difference in your freestyle. 

Getting advice from a 4-time Olympian as she unravels the mysteries of freestyle is a great start, and make no mistake -- Sheila Taormina is letting the best-kept secrets out of the bag!