One of the often discussed controversies in freestyle concerns the pull. Where is the pull in freestyle the strongest? Is it in the front quadrant, ahead of the swimmer’s shoulder? Is it in the back quadrant, behind the swimmer’s shoulder? Or is the pull strongest right at the swimmer’s shoulder, as he or she moves the hand backward?

In this week’s video, we feature two elite freestylers, Zane Grothe and Margo Geer. Zane is a distance freestyler and uses a higher elbow pulling motion, reducing frontal drag. Margo is a sprinter and uses a deeper pulling motion, opting for more power and drag.

The testing we do in this video using the Pressure Meter confirms that Margo is able to generate more force with her deeper pull than Zane does with a higher elbow pulling motion. The video also shows a correlation between Margo’s faster body rotation and her greater pulling force.

This video will help you determine the type of pulling biomechanics you should use for each freestyle race. It will also illustrate how important your body rotation is in developing a faster swim.