Practice Sets for Forward Momentum and First Connections

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Practice Sets for Forward Momentum and First Connections

Skills To Build

• Hold stretched, straight, stable Streamline Position
• Wide recovery arm swing
• Elbow leads, moves forward continuously
• Momentum builds parallel to surface
• High Elbow at Entry
• Continuous, fluid motion, from Exit to Entry to Streamline
• Recovery Arm ‘lifts’ off the torso for a moment, almost weightless

You want to feel your Streamline side of the body stretched, straight and stable, while your swing the recovery arm fluidly, without a sense of being rushed to do it because of instability. The more that you use the muscles in your torso to stabilize, the less you need your legs to move around to stabilize.

Cues for Recovery Swing

• In addition to all the focal points for Skate…
• Elbow swings wide
• Hand swings wider (arm draped over a beach ball)
• Relaxed, ‘ragdoll’ forearm and hand and fingers
• Drag the knuckles
• Elbow leads (the hand, until last moment)
• Fingernails keep contact with surface
• Elbow climbs to High Elbow Entry position

Choose 3 or 4 of the focal points above to work on today.

Then, for each focal point, work through these activities, as far as you can go successfully. Take one focal point and work through the list. Then take the next focal point and work through the list again, and so on.

Practice Set for Recovery Swing

• 4 to 6x, for each side, Swing Skate for 6 seconds (time of comfortable breath hold)
• 4 rounds of ‘4 to 6x Swing Switch with pauses’
• 4 rounds of ‘4 to 6x Swing Switch without pauses’
• 4 rounds of gradually faster swing, gradually bring forearm out of the water
• 4 rounds of ‘6 to 8x whole strokes’ holding the same focal point (no breathing)
• 2 rounds of ‘4x whole strokes, Interrupted Breathing, 4x whole strokes’

 

Practice Set for First Connections

Skills

• To maintain recovery swing skills and…
• Have the entry arm be pulled in by gravity
• Connect the entry and torso rotation
• Have the entry arm slide in without a splash, no waves
• Have Lead Arm hold extended position until Entry
• Slide into your best Streamline Position

Cues for First Connections

• High Elbow Entry position
• Ski Jump shaped path to Streamline
• Entry Arm lines up in front of shoulder, pointing straight ahead
• Extending Arm extends in front of shoulder, straight ahead
• Mail slot (fingers, wrist, elbow and shoulder slide through the same hole)
• Slide into long, straight, stable Streamline Position
• Low rotation angle at Streamline Position
• Fingers remain soft from entry to extension

Choose 3 or 4 of the focal points above to work on today.

Then, for each focal point, work through these activities, as far as you can go successfully. Take one focal point and work through the list. Then take the next focal point and work through the list again, and so on.

Practice Set for First Connections

• 4 to 6x, for each side, Standing Entry To Streamline
• 4 to 6x, for each side, Streamline Swing to Balance Position for 6 seconds (time of comfortable breath hold)
• 4 rounds of ‘4 to 6x Streamline Switch with pauses’
• 4 rounds of ‘4 to 6x Streamline Switch without pauses’
• 4 rounds of gradually faster swing, gradually bring forearm out of the water
• 4 rounds of ‘6 to 8x whole strokes’ holding the same cue (no breathing)
• 2 rounds of ‘4x whole strokes, Interrupted Breathing, 4x whole strokes’

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