Improving the Freestyle Catch

Last Updated on April 26, 2024 by admin

Improving the freestyle catch can help to develop the effectiveness of a swimmer's stroke — **Improving the freestyle catch can help to develop the effectiveness of a swimmer’s stroke**

In this article, we will provide advice, drills, hacks and tips on improving the freestyle catch, to help develop a more effective and powerful freestyle arm stroke.

What is the freestyle catch?

The freestyle catch is a part of the freestyle arm stroke,

It follows the entry of the swimmer’s arm at the beginning of the stroke
- Where the arm is fully extended forward underwater.
- Following the recovery of the arm from the previous stroke.
It initiates the main propulsive phase of the stroke
- Often referred to as the pull or the power phase.

What are the benefits of an improved freestyle catch?

An improved freestyle catch helps the swimmer to place their arm, wrist and hand in the correct position, at the beginning of the freestyle stroke.

An improved freestyle catch helps the swimmer to place their arm, wrist and hand in the correct position, at the beginning of the freestyle stroke.
This enables them to ‘catch’ hold of the water correctly, to help facilitate a more effective and powerful arm stroke.

How to perform the freestyle catch

The freestyle catch consists of three phases, the entry, the reach and the down sweep.

The entry

The entry phase is performed at the beginning of the freestyle stroke.

As the swimmer recovers their arm from the previous stroke.
The swimmer should ensure that as their hand, wrist and arm enter the water,
- They are at an angle of approximately between 30 and 45 degrees,
- With their wrist straight above their hand and their elbow above their wrist throughout the catch.
The swimmer should ensure that their fingertips enter the water first and are not slapping the water on entry.
As the swimmer completes their entry, they should proceed immediately onto the reach phase of the catch, without any pauses or breaks.

The reach

As the swimmer completes their entry
They should fully extend their arm forward underwater.
With the assistance of the rotation of their body onto the same side as their stroke.
While ensuring that they keep their wrist straight and above their hand (which should be slightly below the surface) and their elbow (which should be on the surface) above their wrist.
As the swimmer completes their reach, they should proceed immediately onto the down sweep phase of the catch, without any pauses or breaks.

The down sweep

As the swimmer completes their reach
The swimmer should ensure that they keep their elbow high in the water.
While bending at the elbow, to move their forearm downwards, while pointing their fingers towards the bottom of the pool.
The swimmer should ensure they do not apply too much downward force when initiating the down sweep movement,
The swimmer at this stage should only be positioning their hands and arms in readiness for the pull phase of the arm stroke.
Throughout the down sweep, they should focus on ensuring their hands and arms produce backward force.
Rather than downward force to help achieve effective propulsion, by pushing the water backward towards their feet.
As the swimmer completes their catch, they should proceed immediately onto the pull or propulsive phase of the stroke, without any pauses or breaks.

Common faults

For many younger or inexperienced swimmers, an effective catch is one of the most common causes of an ineffective freestyle stroke. Common faults include,

Under reaching

Not fully extending their arm.

This reduces the length of the swimmer’s stroke.
Making it less powerful and effective.

Over-reaching

Over-reaching with their arm.

This often results in a flat stroke, which lowers the swimmer’s wrist and elbow.
Again, this makes their stroke less powerful and effective.

Stroking across the centre line

Entering a stroke across the centre line of the swimmer’s body.

This often results in them snaking down the pool (swimming from side to side)
Again, this makes their stroke less powerful and effective.

Dropping the hand

A very common fault is for the swimmer to bend at the wrist and drop their hand during the reach.

This often results in the hand producing increased drag.
Often resulting in the slowing of the stroke.

Drills to help improve the freestyle catch

Listed below are two simple but effective drills to help improve the freestyle catch

Doggy paddle drill

Introduction: An undervalued drill, the doggy paddle is great for developing and maintaining the swimmer’s catch and feel for the water.

How to perform this drill:

From a push and glide from the wall at the end of the pool.
The swimmer starts this drill in the horizontal/prone position.
The swimmer’s head should be out of the water.
The swimmer proceeds with a series of alternate arm sculls.
- They should ensure they extend their arms with their palms face down, fully into the catch position.
- They should continue the sculling motion with their wrists up and their fingers pointing down to the bottom of the pool, in a straight line, back to their chest.
- Swimmers should recover their hands and arms back into the catch position, underwater.
- They should ensure they rotate at the hips during each pull
They should also ensure they are performing a strong and steady flutter kick.
- The swimmer’s feet should be in a pointed plantar flexion position. (see diagram above)
Complete this progression for one length of the pool (25m)
Ideally, swimmers should look at and feel the water with their hands and arms throughout this drill, to ensure they perform the catch correctly.
Swimmers may also benefit from using a snorkel, a pull buoy, hand paddles or swim fins.
- Younger and less experienced swimmers may benefit from using a noodle across their chest and under their armpits for extra support.

Swimming with fist

Purpose: This drill introduces the swimmer to pulling with clenched fists.

It necessitates the swimmer pulling longer and more effectively, using their forearms as a means of propulsion.
Often once a swimmer has completed this drill with fists when they go back to normal pulling with unclenched fists, most swimmers develop their catch and a better feel for the water

How to perform this drill: The swimmer should start this drill with a push and glide from the end of the pool in a horizontal and prone streamlined position, with clenched fists.

Emphasis should be on a great technique, with high elbows on the recovery phase and a long, strong and controlled entry, reach and down sweep.
Their head should be in a horizontal and prone position, in line with their body and legs, looking at the bottom of the pool, whilst pulling.
When breathing, they should have one goggle lens completely in the water and with the other goggle lens, they should look across the surface of the pool.
Their feet should be in a pointed (plantar flexion) position.
This drill can be performed with or without a pull buoy.

Sculling

Sculling is often overlooked and is an undervalued key swimming skill.

It’s a swimming technique, which focuses on the pitch and position of the swimmer’s hands and forearms in the water.
Therefore, many coaches introduce regular sculling drills into their programme, the help develop a swimmer’s catch and feel for the water.