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.