The front crawl, or freestyle stroke, is considered to be the fastest of the swimming strokes. Top swimmers make the stroke look effortless, while those new to the sport often try to muscle, or chop, their way through the water, leading to fatigue and almost zero forward momentum. The keys to correcting freestyle technique involve enhancing the swimmer's feel for proper hand and elbow placement, as well as shoulder and hip rotation, during each phase of the stroke.
Pinky Up
Many swimmers are coached to pull their hands through the water to gain forward speed. However, when viewed from underwater, the stroke of top swimmers reveals they are actually creating a small amount of lateral movement, or sculling. They are focusing on propelling the body past the hand, not pulling the hand through the water. This motion is dictated by the hand's pitch, or angle. To control the pitch, the swimmer must control the pinky finger. When swimming, concentrate on keeping the pinky up through the entire catch phase of the stroke. Focus on lift rather than forward momentum. Keeping the pinky up also calls into play the lats, deltoids and triceps to further synchronize the timing between the hand and the hips.
One-Arm Stroking
To improve body roll, use one-arm stroking. Starting from a prone glide, extend your left arm and stroke with your right. Use a six-beat kicking tempo and switch arms after each lap. Concentrate on hip and shoulder roll timing and any discrepancies between your left and right arm after you switch sides.
Fists
Clench your hands in to fists and swim with your thumbs angled down. Concentrate on hand and forearm rotation through the first half of the stroke. Feel as if you are pulling the water back with your fists and forearms.
Zipper
To enforce the habit of a keeping a high elbow during the recovery phase of the stroke, use the zipper drill. Swimming freestyle, keep your thumb in contact with your body during the recovery stroke. Imagine that you are leading the recovery with your elbow instead of your hand. Focus on internally rotating the shoulder. When the thumb reaches the armpit, reach forward and put your hand in the water to start the next pull stroke.
References
- Swimming World: Tech Tips: The Art of Lateral Movement
- Western Australian Institute of Sport: Stroke Drills
- "Mastering Swimming"; Jim Montgomery, Mo Chambers; 2008
