bent elbow help....mine doesnt bend like that!

I like how that video shows the connection between the catch and the rotation. My swim coach has been working with me on this very thing.

Apropos of the original post - yes, I have struggled with the "my arm won't do that" feeling. Connecting the arm move to the body rotation has helped me.

Two other things that helped me:

1) realizing that I don't have to have my elbow directly below my shoulder. There can be a bend in the elbow, such that the hand is below the shoulder, but the elbow is slightly outboard of the line between the hand and shoulder.

2) allowing my hand to go slightly lower in the water - say 10 inches or so below the surface - rather than trying to start that catch movement up at surface level.

yeah, what she is doing is what i've been trying which is nothing like what Endurance Nation's description is. it seems to me you cant get into that position from a fully extended arm without your shoulder rotating.

BTW sorry to hear that some people arent appreciating your hard work here.  When I first started hanging around here a couple years ago, one of my first posts was about how few "buttheads" there are here.  sad that its changing somewhat.

if its any consolation I went to slowtwitch for the first time yesterday and lasted about half an hour.  Too many really nasty responses to posts.

so thanks for your work here.

If at the point of full forward extension, you point your finger tips at the bottom of the pool, it will take initial slight bend at the wrist, if you than keep your finger tips pointed down toward the bottom and keep your elbow closer to the surface, you will have accomplished the high elbow catch and pull.

Okay, I don't think I'm getting it.  I watched the video, and what really struck me is the rotation first and then bend the elbow and grab the water.  Went up and down the pool a few times practising this and got a high elbow and near the surface.  All good.

But as soon as I started swimming I realized that I start the pull before I rotate, so I still didn't feel like I was getting my elbow high enough.  I couldn't get the timing. Especially when I breathe and my leading arm constantly drops more (even though I'm conciously trying not to let that happen).

Do you have another video or explanation for how this should look/feel when you transition from the drill to an actual swim?