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Swimming Stroke Summary

 

Front Crawl

  • Arm Stroke Recovery

    • Controlled and relaxed

    • Elbow lead out of water, as if taking hand out of pocket, while finishing pull

    • High elbow position maintained throughout stroke and recovery

    • Shorter radius of rotation about the shoulder allows quick recovery

    • Shorter radius of rotation about the shoulder reduces lateral rotation about the longitudinal axis

    • Palm facing backward throughout recovery, until "reach"

    • Reach with recovery hand completed as other hand is mid-pull

  • Arm Stroke Pull

    • Elbow-up, medial rotation

    • Backward "s" pull, maximizing movement perpendicular to the line of direction

    • "Catch" with hand (blade) at 45 degree angle to water surface, pressing away from the body

    • Insweep to position with 90 degree angle between upper and lower arm (most propulsive phase of pull)

  • Kick

    • Stabilization

    • Streamlining (reduces profile drag)

    • Maintenance of lateral alignment as lateral thrust of kick cancels effect of arm recovery

    • 6 beat sprint kick

    • maximum spread between legs 10-16"

    • straight leg recovery

    • knees bend to initiate propulsion as leg moves from flexion into extension

    • toes pointed and extended

    • 2 beat distance kick, slow and narrow

  • Head and Body Position

    • Water cuts forehead just above eyebrows

    • Creation of bow wave

    • Breath taken in concavity of bow wave
      Rotation of head (not lift) for breath

 

Back Crawl

  • Arm Stroke Recovery

    • Thumb lead in recovery

    • Straight, but not rigid arm

    • Vertical movement

    • Hand entry with little finger first

  • Arm Stroke Pull

    • Entry slightly outside shoulder width

    • Catch 6-12" below the surface of the water

    • "S" pattern, sculling motion

    • When hand is opposite shoulder, angle between upper and lower arm equals 90 degrees

    • After maximum elbow bend, swimmer pushes to end of reach

    • Roll around longitudinal axis to allow "deep" pull

  • Kick

    • Stabilization

    • Streamlining

    • Inverted front crawl kick

    • Downbeat as recovery, upbeat with flexed leg --thigh-- lead for propulsion

    • Kicking from hips

  • Head and Body Position

    • Chin tucked, ears in water

 

Breast Stroke

  • Arm Stroke Pull

    • 2 major sculling motions (outsweep and insweep)

    • catch 6-8" below the surface of the water

    • elbow-up, medial rotation

  • Arm Stroke Recovery

    • palm up or down with smooth transition from insweep

    • complete extension and reach

    • underwater below the surface of the water

  • Whip Kick

    • propeller-like, spiraling effect

    • angle formed by plane of body and upper leg 110-120 degrees

    • heels recover to buttocks, knees at shoulder width, ankles flexed

    • kick phase originates with inward rotation of upper legs, outward rotation or lower leg/ankle

    • throughout the kicking motion, feet outside knees

    • extension to finish, with lift of back of thigh to maintain streamline and allow for deep catch

  • Head/Breath

    • Head steady, no flexion for breath

    • Breath as pull begins

 

Butterfly

  • Arm Stroke Pull

    • Double "S", simultaneous pull

    • Outsweep-insweep-outsweep sculling pattern

    • Catch identical to that of freestyle catch

    • Symmetrical action

  • Arm Stroke Recovery

    • Low, flat parabola

    • Palms face water

  • Kick

    • Whole body movement, initiated at the shoulders

    • First kick - largest - to elevate hips and streamline the body, timed immediately after arms enter the water

    • Second kick during last part of the arm pull

    • Propulsion with knee bend lead downward into full extension (almost hyperextension)

    • Recovery with straight leg, lead up with back of thighs

  • Head/Breath

    • Mouth breaks surface to start inhalation when arms are underneath shoulders

    • Head presses back into water with arms finishing recovery.