Swim drill
Fingertip Drag
Swim freestyle and let the fingertips of the recovering arm trail the surface of the water from exit to entry. Forces a high elbow recovery and relaxed arm.
catchno equipment
The one cue
“High elbow, soft hand”
The lesson
- 1
Elbow leads the recovery
Your elbow comes up and forward first; your hand follows underneath it.
- 2
Trail the fingertips
Let them skim the surface all the way from exit to entry, hand relaxed and soft.
- 3
The height comes from the roll
The high elbow is a result of your body rotating, not of shrugging your shoulder up. Rotate and the elbow lifts itself.
- 4
The test
Finish the recovery before you take a breath. Cutting it short for air is the usual break.
Watch out for
- Swinging the arm wide instead of leading with the elbow
- Tense fingers — should be relaxed and dragging
- Cutting the recovery short to breathe
Appears in these routines
Find the CatchFeel the water, not just stroke through it