The Smoothest Swimming Technique In The World? Jono Van Hazel

The Grid of the Body:

The swimmer in this video is shows how the body moves on a Grid.   The grid of the body is defined by the parameters of the shoulder and hip width in the standing bilateral overhead reach position, this is also referred to as "Position 11". 

Long-axis reach and rotation:  This refers to how the body achieves a modified side-lying position during the single arm overhead reach phase of each arm cycle. This is the entry and reach phase and rolling of the body is coupled to this phase. (More on this in later blogs.)

Observation of Freestyle Technique by Jono Van Hazel
The video shows varying levels of effort:

1.   Easy

2.   Steady

3.   Tempo

4.   Sprint

18-29 seconds - Head on view:  The Grid has key elements of posture, line and balance, as described by Richard Quick:

1.   Posture – neutral body posture with head in neutral (eyes looking down)

2.   Lines – hands enter on position 11 (directly in front and slightly inside the shoulder line)

a.   At 26.0 seconds

                                 i.     Observe right arm – high elbow position (HEP-1) aligned with hands; finger tips pointed down

                               ii.     Observe left arm – hand in vertical forearm position; elbow “popping-out” slightly to allow in-sweep portion of pull phase (HEP-2)

                              iii.     Observe kick – in line and behind the hips “in-the-bucket”

3.   Balance – there is symmetry between the right and left side body rotation and arm recovery and pull patterns.

     

30-44 seconds - Side view:  Key here is the coupling motion of the trunk and hip as the body rolls around the long-axis:

• Arm reach & body roll coupling - Notice the entry and reach phase of the recovery and the coupling of body roll to the side. The body is rolling around the long-axis created by a straight arm reach. Reach and roll are coupled movements, reach with left the arm and the body rolls right and visa versa. 
• Front quadrant arm coupling – both arms occupy the front quadrant at the same time.

41-43 seconds:  right arm transitions from catch to vertical forearm and in-sweep pull phase (stop the video on frame 41).  Observe:

• left arm in HEP-1
• both arms go through high elbow position as one arm pulls and the other recovers
• Hip and shoulder roll to the side and is coupled in the direction of movement
• Arm-pit is visible on recovery

46-56 seconds:

o   As arm enters into front quadrant from HEP-1, the finger tips are down and the wrist is faced forward towards entry point.

57-117 seconds - Top view:  During the recovery phase of the arms, you can see how upper arm is close to the head as it enters the front quadrant.

107 seconds:  the shoulders rotate more vertically then the hips, however they are still coupled in movement  around the long-axis.

 108-109 seconds:  the hands and arms enter directly on the shoulder line (Grid of the body).

o   The pull phase -  shows the vertical forearm.   Observe:

• the finger-tips, hand and wrist disappear under the forearm during catch and pull phase
• the kick stays behind the hips and in the Grid of the body (in the bucket)

118-139 seconds - Back view: On the recovery phase, observe how the triangle created by the HEP-1 position occurs later then traditionally thought of in most drills.  Observe:

• the head is perfectly stable in non-breathing phase
• the spine line is straight & the shoulders rotate over a straight spine line
•  the arm entering on the Grid in front of the shoulder line
• the symmetry of body rotation
•  the kick "in-the-bucket"

Conclusions:
Learning how to move around the long-axis of the body from the lead-arm position is a fundamental part of the freestyle stroke, and sets up the opportunity for other coupled movements of the arm recovery, kick and breathing pattern to integrate more efficiently.  Swimmers both young and older must continue to refine their body's kinesthetic or 6th sense in the water, and challenge the basic elements of swimming from a fundamental, technical and sports specific perspective.

Source of video: http://www.swimsmooth.com/catchmasterclass

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Brett J. Lemire, DC CSCS, founder of Universal Chiropractic Spine & Sport in Elk Grove.  Dr. Brett is also a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA, has been trained in Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) according to Kolar.  He has taken numerous post-graduate courses with some of the world’s leading authorities in Manual Medicine, Spine and Sports Rehabilitation techniques.  You can contract Dr. Lemire at 916-683-3900.