If the goal is to help swimmers go fast, they should not be...
Andrew Sheaff@AndrewKSheaff
52 views
Feb 09, 2026
~1 min read
1
If the goal is to help swimmers go fast, they should not be encouraged to straighten their arm under the water and finish their stroke.
It sounds good in theory, but there’s one small problem.
The best swimmers don’t do it.
It sounds good in theory, but there’s one small problem.
The best swimmers don’t do it.
2
Here’s one of the fastest swimmers in history, not fully straightening the arm and not finishing the stroke.
Watch carefully.
You can see how the elbow exits the water before it’s straightened.
More importantly, watch his hand.
Watch carefully.
You can see how the elbow exits the water before it’s straightened.
More importantly, watch his hand.
3
He turns it in, letting go of the water, well before he exits the water, and you can see, his elbow is still very bent when it happens.
The goal is to create propulsion for as long as possible without negatively impacting the recovery.
The goal is to create propulsion for as long as possible without negatively impacting the recovery.
4
Once the elbow is brought to the side, there’s not much juice left to squeeze, and it’s to time swing it up.
Even in the shortest of events in the highest pressure meets, swimmers are letting go of the water ‘early’.
It’s a critical skill for fast swimming.
Even in the shortest of events in the highest pressure meets, swimmers are letting go of the water ‘early’.
It’s a critical skill for fast swimming.
5
One of the simplest ways to help swimmers learn how to hold more water with either the arms or the legs is by using parachutes.
They’re simple, they’re practical, and they’re effective.
They’re simple, they’re practical, and they’re effective.