Strokes in Swimming

Strokes in Swimming
Human Swimming typically consists of repeating a specific
body motion or swimming stroke to propel the body forward.
There are many kinds of strokes, each defining a different
swimming style or crawl.
In high school, collegiate, and Olympic swimming, there are
two undulating strokes (breaststroke, and butterfly stroke), and
two alternating strokes (front crawl and backstroke).
 Most strokes involve rhythmic and coordinated movements
of all major body parts like torso, arms, legs, hands, feet, and
head. Breathing typically must be synchronized with the
strokes, too.
It is possible, however, to swim by moving only legs without
arms or only arms without legs; such strokes may be used for
special purposes, for training or exercise, or by amputees
(paralympians) and paralytics.
The four swimming strokes used in competitions are the front crawl or
freestyle stroke, breaststroke, backstroke, and the butterfly stroke.
 Crawl stroke

Front crawl is the fastest and most efficient known way for
swimmers to move across the surface of the water. Mastering it,
however, takes time and effort as it requires a complex series of
moves involving the whole body.

The front crawl has three parts: the flutter kick, the rotating
arm stroke, and rhythmic breathing.

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 Flutter Kick

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 Rotating Arm Stroke

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 Rhythmic Breathing

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Crawl Stroke Swimming Technique
 Backstroke
The backstroke, or back crawl, uses
alternating and opposite arm movements.
As one arm pulls through the water from an
overhead position to the hip, the other arm
recovers above the water from the hip to
the overhead position and vice versa.

BRIEF HISTORY:
Backstroke swimming developed as an offshoot of front crawl, with
swimmers copying the overarm technique on their backs.

One of the most important developments in the history of backstroke

was made in the late 1930s when Australian swimmers began to bend
their arms for the underwater phase of the stroke.
Backstroke Swimming Technique
 Breaststroke
-a swimming stroke executed in a prone
position by coordinating a kick in which the legs are
brought forward with the knees together and the
feet are turned outward and whipped back with a
glide and a backward sweeping movement of the
arms.

-it is also known as the “froggy” stroke among children learning to swim
as it sounds more endearing. The movement also resembles that of a frog
swimming in water hence the use of this term. It is the most popular
recreational style because it is very stable and does not require a lot of effort
if a good technique is applied.
 FIVE STEPS IN BREASTSTROKE
Step 1: Body position
● Keep your body flat and lie facing down in the water with your
body kept in line with the water surface.
Step 2: Arm movement
● There are three steps in arm movement - the Catch, Pull and
Recovery.
Step 3: Breathing Technique
● Lift your head and neck above water at the end of the pulling
movement for a breath. In the recovery phase, exhale bubbles in
the water whilst your hands are pushed forward.
Step 4: Leg Action
● Starting with your legs straightened, bend your knees to bring your
heel towards your bottom and make a circular motion outwards
with your feet until they return to the starting position. When your
knees are being bent, your feet should be below the water surface
and shoulder width apart.
Step 5: Learn to Glide
● After executing the breaststroke kick, your body should be in a
streamlined position with your arms and legs straightened. Stay in
this position for one to two seconds as the forward propulsion by
your legs should allow you to “glide” forward.
Breast stroke Swimming Technique
 Butterfly

A swimming stroke in which the arms are thrown forward together out of
the water while the feet kick up and down.

While other styles like the breaststroke, front crawl, or backstroke can
be swum adequately by beginners, the butterfly is a more difficult stroke
that requires good technique as well as strong muscles. It is the newest
swimming style swum in competition, first swum in 1933 and originating out
of the breaststroke.
 Styles
Two main styles of butterfly stroke seen today are: "arm pull
up simultaneous with dolphin kick" and "arm pull down
simultaneous with dolphin kick".
 FINA Butterfly Stroke rules
SW 8.1 From the beginning of the first arm stroke after the start and
each turn, the body shall be kept on the breast. Underwater
kicking on the side is allowed. It is not permitted to roll onto the
back at any time.

SW 8.2 Both arms shall be brought forward together over the water
and brought backward simultaneously throughout the race,
subject to SW 8.5.

SW 8.3 All up and down movements of the legs must be

simultaneous. The legs or the feet need not be on the same level,
but they shall not alternate in relation to each other. A
breaststroke kicking movement is not permitted.
SW 8.4 At each turn and at the finish of the race, the touch
shall be made with both hands simultaneously, at, above or
below the water surface.

SW 8.5 At the start and at turns, a swimmer is permitted one

or more leg kicks and one arm pull under the water, which
must bring him to the surface. It shall be permissible for a
swimmer to be completely submerged for a distance of not
more than 15 metres after the start and after each turn. By
that point, the head must have broken the surface. The
swimmer must remain on the surface until the next turn or
finish.
Butterfly Stroke Swimming Technique
Treading
 Treading

Learning how to tread water is

an important skill that beginners
must master in order to gain self
confidence in the water.

Treading water is a basic swimming

technique, where you move your
limbs to keep your body afloat in an
upright position, and with your head
above the water.
 Treading water or water treading
is what a swimmer can do while in a
vertical position to keep their head
above the surface of the water, while
not providing sufficient directional
thrust to overcome inertia and
propel the swimmer in any specific
direction.

As it expands less energy than

traditional strokes, it is often used
by swimmers to rest between
periods of exertion without having
to leave the water.
 Bicycle kick
Many beginner swimmers start by using the so-called "bicycle
kick" which causes the swimmer to kick water backward in the
opposite direction to where they want to go.

As much as it makes a logical sense to kick the water behind

you, it will get you going very slowly and it is very bad in terms of
efficiency, effectiveness. Most importantly, it does a horrible thing to
your proper swimming body position.

Imagine running in the water, but instead of being vertical, doing it

horizontally.
BICYCLE KICK  VIDEO
 Breaststroke kick
-The leg movement, colloquially known as the "frog kick" or "whip
kick"
-Is the leg action used in swimming the breaststroke in which the
feet, moving in a horizontal plane, are drawn toward the hips and
then thrust sideward and backward.
The breaststroke kick can be broken down into the following phases:

● Initial position – glide

● Recovery
● Catch
● Outsweep
● Insweep
● Leg lift and back into glide
Initial Position – Glide

You start in the glide position:

❏ Your arms are extended

forward.
❏ Your legs are also extended,
held together, and your feet
are pointed.
❏ Your head is in a neutral
position, and you are
looking downwards.
Recovery
-The leg recovery starts at the end of the
propulsive phase of the arm stroke
(insweep).
BEGINNING OF LEG RECOVERY
-At that moment, your head and shoulders
are above water, and your hips are slightly
underwater so that your body is inclined.

-Your legs are straight and kept together,

with feet pointed.

END OF LEG RECOVERY

Catch
-During the catch phase, your feet move into a
position where they are ready to push against the
water.

-So once your feet are close to the buttocks at the

end of the recovery, your knees move away from
each other and your feet rotate outwards.

-The inside of your feet are now facing backward,

and your feet are turned outwards.
Outsweep
-Once the catch has been made, you
should sweep your legs backward
and outwards while pushing against
the water with the inside of your feet
and lower legs.
Insweep
-You continue to extend your legs backward
but now sweep them inwards.

-At the same time, your feet which were

rotated outwards rotate inward.

-At the end of the insweep, your legs will be

pressed together. Your feet should nearly be
in contact.
Leg Lift & Back into Glide
-Once your legs have been brought
together at the end of the insweep,
they will move upward due to inertia.

-Your feet which were in dorsiflexion will

now move in plantar flexion (feet
pointed).

-You are back at the beginning of the

cycle and you glide for a few moments
in this streamlined position.
Breaststroke Kick
Egg Beater Kick
Eggbeater kicking, a water-treading
technique, is commonly used in water
polo, synchronised swimming and
lifesaving. The eggbeater kick is a very
specific movement in which both legs have
to be turned in opposing circular motions.
 An important skill in synchronized swimming
and water polo, that is used by the players to
keep them afloat in an upright position while
performing other skills. The skill consists of
alternating circular movements of the legs that
produce an upward force by the water on the
swimmer in order to keep the swimmer afloat in a
vertical position. The legs appear to move in a
circular pattern, almost like alternating
circumduction of the hips accompanied by knee
flexion/extension and medial to lateral rotation.
The legs move in alternate circular directions
during the kick- the right leg moves
counterclockwise and the left leg moves
clockwise. The path of the feet traces an
elongated oval during the kick.
 When one leg is in the recovery phase, the other leg is in the power phase.
All the joints of the lower limb are active during the eggbeater kick: the hips,
knees, ankles and the subtalar joints of the foot. The joint movements increase
in linear velocity from proximal to distal joints, with the fastest linear
movements occurring in the foot. The faster the movements of the feet, the
greater the propulsive forces on the swimmer. It has been reported that the
height maintained in the eggbeater kick is strongly related to foot speed.