The reach, catch, pull, push and recovery are the arm movement components of the freestyle swimming stroke. The term “catch” became popular in the 19th century and refers to the point when your hand enters the water and prepares for the underwater pull, the power phase of the stroke. With the proper catch technique, your stroke becomes more efficient; you expend less energy and swim faster.
Freestyle Basics
Keep your head down in the water to allow for a more hydrodynamic movement. Alternate and extend each arm to take a stroke while performing the flutter kick. As each arm reaches forward, rotate your shoulders onto the same side as the extended arm. Russell Mark, USA Swimming's high-performance consultant, recommends rotating your shoulders 30 degrees from the surface of the water. Pull each arm through the water and then push the water backward to propel your body forward. USA Swimming recommends a bilateral breathing pattern to promote a balanced stroke. This is a method where you take a breath on both sides of your body after every third or fifth stroke. Lift your arm out of the water and relax the muscles in your lower arm and hand as you prepare for the next stroke.
Initiating the Catch
The reach initiates the catch movement. During the reach, your arm extends forward and your hand enters the water in front of your shoulder. The City College of San Francisco recommends keeping a slight bend in your elbow and reaching three-quarters as far as you could reach with a straight arm. Enter the water with the index finger first and keep your elbow higher than your forearm. Your hand is angled slightly outward, and your arm continues to extend to start the catch. According to "Mastering Swimming" authors Jim Montgomery and Mo Chambers, the catch takes place in the first 9 to 12 inches of the stroke. Keep your elbow high, a slight bend in your wrist and move your lower arm into a vertical position with your fingertips pointing toward the bottom of the pool. Use your lower arm as a lever to engage and catch the water. When performed correctly, this should feel more like caressing rather than grabbing the water. Following the catch is the pull, push and recovery components of the stroke.
Common Errors
The efficiency of the freestyle stroke is reduced if you overreach and try to make your stroke as long as possible prior to the catch. This action slows down your forward movement. It causes your elbow to drop below the surface of the water, and your wrist tends to bend backward so that your palm is facing the forward flow of the water. Pushing the water down during the catch can cause you upper body to lift while your legs sink. This can create more drag. Dropping your elbow during the catch does not allow your forearm and hand to drop down into a vertical position. This reduces the amount of power you can generate going into the pull component.
Improving the Catch
Montgomery and Chambers recommend the in-water, press-up exercise to help perfect the catch. To perform this exercise, start at the deep end of the pool, face the pool's wall and place your hands flat on the gutter. Lower your body and head below the surface of the water and lift your body as high as you can while pushing down on the gutter. Concentrate on keeping your elbows in a high position during the exercise. Practice your freestyle stroke wearing hand paddles with only a middle-finger strap. If the elbows are not held high during the catch, the paddles will slide off your hands.
