Swim Analysis - Shaun

Hey everyone! Welcome back to our swim analysis series. In today’s video, we’re breaking down Shaun’s swim technique from our latest session. Shaun, fantastic work today – let’s dive into the key focus points we discussed.

Initial Observations:

First off, Shaun, credit where credit is due – your kick is very propulsive, and you have great ankle flexibility. This will be very beneficial as we progress.

Focus Point 1: Head Position

When you enter the water on the right side, you tend to look forward, which forces your arm down. This overcompensation causes your shoulder to sit low in the water, creating resistance. On the left hand entry, with your head still up, you enter the water nearly palm first, which acts like a brake.

Focus Point 2: Elbow Position and Catch Phase

Next, let’s look at the height of your elbow in the front phase of your stroke. With your head up, your elbow drops through the entry, catch, and partly through setup phases. This prevents you from getting a good purchase on the water. We want to build up momentum with a higher elbow to avoid starting from a dead spot.

Focus Point 3: Finish of Stroke

Finally, at the finish of your stroke, you rotate your hand and exit the water early. This limits your propulsion to when your hand is under your chest through to the top section of your hip.

Takeaways:

To improve, we need to focus on lowering your eyeline to achieve a neutral spine position. This will allow you to get your arm in a higher elbow position for better water hold from the catch phase, increasing propulsion. Extending your stroke at the back will help you maintain propulsion longer, increasing the distance per stroke.

Conclusion:

Great work today, Shaun! By focusing on these areas, we’ll start to see some quick gains in your swimming journey.