This head-on underwater view is from April 12, 2010. I commented on how you enter your hand thumb first, and then scull it out to the side on your way to getting the catch. This is basically a breaststroke catch (done with one arm), and breaststrokers are more prone to elbow injuries than freestylers - perhaps because they do not rotate their forearm while applying pressure. Both breaststrokers and freestylers do get this type of elbow injury though. It is usually called an over-use injury. You haven't been swimming much, but it may be that a lack of swimming has left that area somewhat inflamed. After coming home from masters swimming with a sore elbow once, I hurt it really badly trying to remove a quick-release skewer that had been over-tightened on my bike. Have you done any strenuous twisting motions? It did not look like you were working too hard on Antoine's brakes with the hex wrench the other day, but sometimes something like that is all that it takes when a tendon is inflamed.

The next underwater side view is from April 4, 2010. I made the same types of comments about sculling your hands around before getting your catch. Coaches always talk about carefully setting up the early vertical forearm catch before beginning the pull - because that reduces the chance of injury.

The last clip is an underwater view from the side, from a stationary camera, from April 19, 2010. Again I commented on how much sculling around you are doing with your hand.

You should see somebody about this, make sure nothing is torn and needing repair, and come up with a rehab plan. It will probably mean not swimming for a bit, and changing your setup and catch when you do start swimming again. When you are able to apply some pressure, you will probably be doing things like grip ball squeezes, wrist curls, and wrist rotation against resistance. If you need any help on the swimming part, let me know.

Links