Trends and Aesthetics Front Crawl
Seems like the trend nowadays are two beat kick, bi-lateral breathing and high elbow recovery.
The kick equates to 10-15% propulsion and that is assuming it is done correctly. Otherwise, it is added drag and wasted energy.
This is why I don’t understand why beginners are so fascinated with “powerful” kicks?
I am a fan of drilling bi-lateral breathing but it is not my preferred race breathing pattern due to the oxygen demand for an Ironman swim (3.8km).
The high elbow recovery I can see to encourage a high elbow catch/early vertical forearm but the high elbow recovery isn’t for everyone due to physical limitations or not even a prerequisite for distance swimming.
It has been interesting to compare how I learned to swim in the 90s we’re a gallop stroke and s-pull wasn’t abnormal and nowadays it is shunned.