I’m having trouble understanding this concept. In this video, the instructor mentions that you shouldn’t pull your arm back but instead anchor it, allowing your rotation and momentum to pull your body past your arm. What are your thoughts?
It’s more about visualizing the movement than anything else. The motion is similar, but thinking of it as climbing a ladder, as he suggests, helps keep your body in line.
They emphasize a “high elbow pull” where you engage your forearm instead of pulling with your hand or entire arm. Anchoring your arm is crucial; avoid just throwing your arm back without intention.
Dar said:
They emphasize a “high elbow pull” where you engage your forearm instead of pulling with your hand or entire arm. Anchoring your arm is crucial; avoid just throwing your arm back without intention.
But do you still pull the water back?
@Day
You should ‘pull’ your body past your anchored hand and arm.
I don’t find the distinction between ‘pulling water back’ and ‘pulling body forward’ particularly useful. It’s more about grabbing as much water as possible and using your arm effectively. Functionally, you do both since you’re working against a liquid.
When you pull something down from above, you pull your elbow down. Try to visualize rotating your arm into a vertical position rather than thinking of it strictly as pulling. This way, you anchor your elbow, get a vertical forearm, and use your whole arm to push yourself forward.
Yes, you do pull the water back, but think of it as a feeling. For me, the anchoring technique that Brendan discusses helps engage the hips, core, and lats. The real power comes from rotation. Watching professional golf or tennis swings illustrates this well; they load up from the hips first.
@August
I’ve just been brute-forcing through the water; no wonder my arms, especially my triceps, tire out quickly.
Day said:
@August
I’ve just been brute-forcing through the water; no wonder my arms, especially my triceps, tire out quickly.
Exactly! While your arms are pulling, if you rely solely on them, they will fatigue quickly. Use your body’s rotation to generate power for your strokes instead of flailing at the water. Visualizations like anchoring your hand or climbing a ladder can guide your movements.
Another visualization is to imagine crawling on the ground like a soldier under barbed wire. Your arm stays in place while your body moves past it—the part on the ground isn’t doing all the heavy lifting.