EVF is one of the most commonly referenced concepts in the technical swimming and coaching world, yet most are unsure what exactly Early Vertical Forearm (EVF) is. To learn more, check out this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday!
What is EVF (Early Vertical Forearm)?
To grip the maximum amount of water, it’s important to work on the pull phase of the stroke. By working on your pull, you can improve your overall stroke and efficiency in the water, swim faster, and reduce the chance of overuse injury. The goal is to position your forearm as close to vertical as early as possible in the catch phase of the stroke to grab the most water as early as possible. Rather than pulling straight down, it’s important to initiate the catch with the fingertips. By doing this, you will increase the surface area of your pull. Your forearm/arm has much more surface area than just your hand.
If you want to strengthen your pull, focusing on your catch is the best way to do it. Here are the steps to achieve the “Early Vertical Forearm” (EVF) technique!
- Entry
- Extension
- Fingertip Press
- High Elbow
- Early Vertical Forearm (EVF)
Training Tips
- Practice this skill on land first
- Drill: Catch-up
- Drill: Fist Drill
- Equipment: Fingertip paddles, small paddles, snorkel & pull buoy
Drill Progression
- 2 x 25 Fist Drill
- 2 x 25 Fist + Pointer Finger
- 2 x 25 Fist + Pointer Finger + Middle Finger
- 2 x 25 Fist + Pointer Finger + Middle Finger + Thumb
- 2 x 25 Freestyle ‘Big Hands‘
- 4 x 50 Freestyle ‘Swim with Paddles‘
For more technique tips and personalized Training Plans, download the MySwimPro app!
