Lesson for Catch and Hold

Skills for Catch and Hold

In this lesson you will work through a series of drills to help you:

• Build better catch shape to generate more resistant force
• Empower the catch/hold with the torso rotation, so that the torso muscles do more of the work
• Improve the catch pathway – straight back so the body slides straight forward
• Improve the smooth, steady sense of pressure through the whole motion

The cues below will help you create and improve these three features in your catch action.

Drills for Catch and Hold

• Standing rehearsal with catch shape
• 1-Arm Drill (for Set The Catch)
• 1-Arm Drill with Rotation (other arm tucked at the side)
• Balance Position to Streamline (with a weighted object in lead hand)
• Balance Position to Steamline (no object in lead hand)
• Streamline Switch (two arms) with pause at Entry moment
• Whole Stroke

Cues for Catch and Hold

• Set the catch (or ‘gather inward’)
• Hand stays on track with the shoulder
• Elbow slide out and upward to make shape of arm
• Touch the ball with entire forearm and palm
• Hold the ball and rotate body past it
• Press the ball straight toward the hip – hips rolls out of the way at last moment
• Press the ball straight toward the toes – send the ball of water under hip and leg
• Press the ball steadily
• Catch hand and extending hand move (on their tracks) exactly opposite to each other, at approximately the same rate of speed
• Hesitate ever so slightly after ‘Set The Catch’ in order to Load The Torso
• Pull with hip (not with shoulder)

The entry and extending arm is the main actor, while the catch arm is the supporting actor. Set a good catch and then focus upon transferring force across the body, forward, into your best Streamline Position. The better your Entry, Extension and Streamline, the farther you will slide forward on each stroke!