Member Question: What are the Mechanics of the 'Pull'?

Start with balance, once you have improved in that area, move on to rotation, then breathing, and finally, you can start to get into the technical aspects of the pull.

Member Question from triosaurus

"I'm feeling a little frustrated about the entry/reach.  I have been looking through quite a few of the videos posted here and others to get a good visual of what the swim mechanics should look like so that I have something concrete in my mind to try to emulate. As a newer swimmer, there is a lot of info, and there are lots of things to focus on - breathing, rotation, balance, reach, elbow...

The other day I had an older gentleman point out that upon entry I was reaching then lifting my hand (and dropping my elbow) slightly upward, in effect pushing against the oncoming water. This really made sense, but then I got to thinking about the reach over the barrel image so often advocated, and it 'seems' to me that this method and the reach by rotating the shoulder, trying to get the hand as far forward to increase stroke length are actually in opposition to one another...No?"

Answer from Coach Kevin Koskella