Swimming with proper technique is not just for the Olympian. Granted, paying attention to stroke mechanics adds speed and saves energy for the competitive athlete. Yet so much more is gained when strokes are executed correctly. Repeated strokes performed improperly can cause muscle and joint pain over time in adults, and can produce ineffective muscle memory in those still growing. Therefore, developing accurate and elegant swimming techniques is essential to the health of the body.
Head Position
When to keep the head stationary and when – and how – to move it are vital to perfecting any stroke. As in the most common stroke – the freestyle – head movement is linked to proper breathing. While it may rotate away from the forward arm when.you're inhaling, the head should keep an even horizontal plane with the shoulders, neither raised nor sunken. Even in strokes like the butterfly or breaststroke where the head should break the plane, the neck should never crane, but rise only enough to inhale. There should be little to no head movement with the backstroke, again remaining even with the shoulders.
Upper Body and Arms
Arms, supported by shoulders and chest, are the primary propellers in swimming. Keeping them operating according to the particulars of the stroke means covering more distance in less time. The freestyle is often called the crawl because the swimmer uses the arms to first pull, and then push forward, as if crawling on dry land. Extending and retracting close to the body makes the swimmer a more streamlined vessel, while keeping the elbows above the hands puts more muscle power behind the stroke. The butterfly stroke is best executed when begun with arms hitting the water in front, palms facing outward. The arms then sweep to the outside and return to the hips in a keyhole pattern. Arms should emerge from the water after each stroke.
Trunk
The rotation or gyration of the torso supports the other muscle groups in body propulsion. A strong core is therefore key to an effective stroke. The breaststroke calls for keeping the body as tight and flat as possible. Likewise for the backstroke, except that in this event, gravity can create a problem. Hips are known to sink during the backstroke, creating a drag on the swimmer. Thus the backstroke competitor must engage the abdominals to keep the hips high and the body as flat as possible. The freestyler has a different challenge. In order to engage the back muscles, the body must rotate to the side opposite the extended arm. However, overrotating will require more effort to alternate sides.
Legs
Establishing the correct kicking rhythm – three kicks per arm stroke, for example – depends as much on the length of the swim as it does on the particular stroke. Yet the motion of the legs differs with each stroke. A freestyle kick begins at the hip and is best performed with a subtle bend at the knee. Unique to breaststroke technique is the flexed – as opposed to loose -- nature of the ankle, while the legs push outward to full extension before coming together and retracting beneath the hips. The butterfly kick has the feet move as one, moving in tandem with the hands as they pierce the water surface.
References
- “The Times” (U.K.); Improving Your Swimming Technique; Peta Bee; March 2008
- EffectiveWaterFitness.com; Freestyle Swimming Technique: Tips to Improve Your Speed
- “The Guardian” (U.K.); Develop Your Breaststroke Technique; Karen Pickering; January 2009
- “The Guardian” (U.K.); Develop Your Backstroke Technique; Karen Pickering; January 2009
- BBC Sport Academy; Swimming; Skills; Develop Your Butterfly Stroke
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