The difference between paddling and real propulsion: the high elbow (early vertical forearm) turns hand and forearm into one big paddle pressing backward.
The one technique that turns a solid freestyle into a fast one is the high-elbow catch – also called the early vertical forearm (EVF). The idea: instead of paddling back with a straight arm, you bend the elbow early and set up hand and forearm together like a vertical paddle against the water.
Why does it help so much? Because it enlarges your propulsive surface. Add the forearm to the hand and the effective propulsive area grows by about 8.5% over the hand alone – like switching from a tablespoon to a ladle. Simulations show propulsion becomes most efficient when the elbow is high early in the pull phase.
Plain talk: it's not strength that makes the difference, it's the surface and its angle. An early vertical forearm catches more water – and presses it cleanly backward instead of down.
### 1. Reach first, catch after After entry, extend the arm long forward. Only then does the catch begin. Don't rip straight into it – length first, then the grip.
### 2. Bend the elbow, keep it high Now bend the elbow and let the fingertips sink while the elbow stays high, pointing toward the surface/wall. It feels like reaching over a large barrel.
### 3. Set up forearm and hand as a paddle The goal is for hand and forearm to form one line, aimed flat backward – a vertical paddle beneath your body. This surface "anchors" in the water, and you pull your body past it.
### 4. Press back, not down From the anchor, accelerate the press backward to the thigh. Propulsion comes from the set-up surface of hand and forearm. Think "shovel the water toward your feet".
### 5. Build it from the side position The high elbow works far more easily if you roll slightly onto the side of the pulling arm as you catch. Rotation and catch are a pair: the roll brings the shoulder over the elbow.
The high-elbow catch is healthier for the shoulder than straight-arm paddling – but only when it comes from rotation. A forced high elbow in a flat position can push the shoulder joint into an unfavourable internal rotation and promote irritation.
Introduce the catch in small doses and never into pain. If the front of the shoulder stabs during the catch, you're going too deep or too early – back to slow motion.
Do the "sculling drill" (feel for the water): face down, arms forward, make only small figure-eight movements with forearm and hand and feel the pressure on the inside of the forearm. Then swim on normally and look for exactly this pressure feeling in the catch.
Whoever feels the pressure on the forearm has found the high elbow – it's not the angle in the video that counts, but the feeling of catching against a solid wall.
### What exactly is the high-elbow catch (early vertical forearm)? It's the technique where, after reaching, you bend the elbow early and keep it high while the fingertips sink. That way hand and forearm form a vertical paddle that presses the water flat backward. The high elbow points toward the water surface, not down.
### Why is the high elbow faster than straight-arm pulling? Because it enlarges and better aligns your propulsive surface. Add the forearm to the hand and the effective propulsive area grows by about 8.5 percent, and the pull presses backward instead of down. Simulations show propulsion becomes most efficient when the elbow is high early in the pull phase.
### Why does my elbow always drop during the catch? Usually because you catch without rotation or apply power too early. A dropped elbow arises almost automatically from a flat position. Roll slightly onto the side of the pulling arm, let the fingertips sink first, and consciously keep the elbow high. Practise it in slow motion first.
### Do I need paddles to learn the catch? No, but small finger paddles can help because they tell you whether your surface presses flat backward. More important are sculling drills that train the feel for the water. Big paddles too early overload the shoulder and mask a bad catch instead of improving it.
### Does the hand pull straight through or on a curve in freestyle? Not dead straight. Underwater the pull runs on a slight S or question-mark shape, because you subconsciously search for still water to press against. But don't force this curve artificially – if catch and rotation are right, it emerges on its own. And honestly: the catch only pays off once your body position is flat and you rotate cleanly. Before that the foundation is missing, because without a stable side position the elbow drops anyway. Focus on the firm anchor, not on the path.
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