**Sprint Free Straight-Arm Recovery**

While most swimmers are taught to swim freestyle with a bent-arm recovery, more and more SPRINT freestylers are turning to a straight-arm recovery. If you’ve never experimented with straight-arm recovery, it’s worth trying! This week we look at six sprint freestylers and how they train for a straight-arm recovery.

<https://www.thestar.com/sports/olympics/2012/06/20/johns_hopkins_study_says_straight_arm_front_crawl_a_faster_stroke_for_swimmers.html>

**Monday**

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2374-slow-to-fast>

From beginning - the throw

:32 - left arm straighter than right

:34 - fingers slightly ahead of the rest of the arm

:36 - heavy arm slows and drives slightly forward

1:00 - swimming slower than race pace

1:45 - slow - bent elbow recovery

2:07 - slow - bent elbow recovery

2:42 - starting to throw

3:09 - full straight-arm throw

**Tuesday**

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1405-freestyle-extension>

08 - Straight arm recovery

:19 - avoids underwater extension for sprinting

:24 - step through to finger first

:26 - wrist articulation in recovery

:44 - wrist articulation on entry

:49 - wrist articulation on entry

:53 - wrist articulation on entry

**Wednesday**

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1294-freestyle-fist-drill>

:09 - fist drill

:20 - modified fist

:23 - forearm catch

:31 - very straight arm recovery

:43 - pivoting the arm into catch

:57 - full arm catch

**Thursday**

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/681-relaxed-recovery>

:11 - fast lap - play through

Then back up showing wrist articulation

:26 - fingers in first

:38 - straight but hooked

:50 - look at how rotated the shoulder is

1:02 - wrist

1:45 - talking about the weight of the arm

2:01 - timing shifts when rate increases

2:27 - the throw

2:44 - the fingers

2:52 - the fingers

2:57 - the breath

**Friday**

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3170-andi-direct-catch>

From beginning… look at the high recovery and rotation

1:12 - working on the left hand during the breath

1:17 - left hand internally rotated during the breath

1:31 - leverage

1:33 - leverage

1:39 - leverage

**Saturday**

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1771-matt-targett-fast-free-from-above>

From beginning - throwing the arms

:20 - arms opposing - wrist articulated

:34 - throws slightly more to the side than the top

:44 - arms land in front of shoulder

:51 - fingers slightly lead the way

:59 - sprinter breath

1:11 - sprinter breath

**Sunday**

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2280-freestyle-with-a-stick>

:08 - lift the back first

:22 - catch driven by the core

:36 - long straight arm like in the first link

:40 - start with the recovery

:43 - start with the recovery

:47 - kayak

1:00 - recovery starts first

1:08 - stays on side until the transition to the other side

1:20 - straight arm above

1:24 - straight arm above

1:53 - straight arm under

**Bonus:**

Freestyle Drill: Vary Your Recovery

<https://www.goswim.tv/app/lessons/633fb611efb683328357d1d9>


Sign In to watch video

Nov. 22, 2022 - Straight-Arm Sprint Freestyle