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techniques for swimming |
1). Techniques for Freestyle
keep your body as straight as you can to overcome the water resistance. Legs kick from lap to feet. Elbows up when hands stroke. When arms stroke outside of water, side your head to breathe. You can breathe at both sides.
ARM ACTION
3). Breaststroke
keep your body as straight as you can to overcome the water resistance. Legs kick from lap to feet. Elbows up when hands stroke. When arms stroke outside of water, side your head to breathe. You can breathe at both sides.
- The wrist of your propulsive arm flexes downward. Your forearm moves downward and backward into a vertical position. At the same time, your elbow and upper arm stay high in the water and move a little bit outward so as to form the so-called high elbow position.
- Once your forearm and palm are vertical and facing backward, your arm adducts at the shoulder as a unit and your hand sweeps in under the chest.
- From there, your hand changes direction and moves toward the hip. At the same time, your body rolls on the side so that your hip gets out of the way.
- Your hand leaves the water at the hip and your arm sweeps forward with the forearm relaxed and dangling.
- You inhale quickly on the side of the recovering arm if this is a breathing recovery.
- Once your hand has passed your head, it enters the water again and your arm extends forward into the overhead position. At the same time, your head and body roll back toward a more neutral position.
- As soon as your recovering arm enters the water, your other arm starts its propulsive phase, and so on.
- The flutter kick continues rhythmically during the whole stroke cycle.
- You start to exhale as soon as the head rolls downward and continue to do so until the next breathing recovery.
ARM ACTION
- Lead with your thumb as your arm comes out of the water. The arm should be lifted out by the movement of the shoulders – not the other way round.
- Your little finger should enter the water first with your arm straight and your palm facing outwards. Your arm should pass by your ear before entering the water between the shoulder line and the centre line of the head.
- Don’t immediately pull with your hand after it enters the water – this will create resistance.
- Instead, turn your palm so it is facing the bottom of the pool and scull your hand outwards and downwards until it reaches a position in a line between your upper chest and shoulders with your elbow bent.
- At this point, rotate your hand again so your palm is facing towards your feet, then push through the water until your arm is fully flexed by the thigh and ready to be lifted out of the water again by the rotation of the shoulders.
- Keep your legs close together and kick from the hips rather than the knees.
- Keep your ankles relaxed and your knee slightly bent on the downbeat.
- Kick as hard and as fast as you feel comfortable. Sprinters may kick up to six beats per arm cycle whereas longer distance swimmers will typically use less.
- Avoid holding your breath as much as possible. Typically, a breath is taken every time an arm completes a full cycle. Try breathing in as one arm passes your ear and exhale as the other arm passes.
- A consistent breathing pattern will aid the rhythm of your stroke.
3). Breaststroke
- In the initial position, you are in a horizontal position on your stomach. Your arms are close together and extended forward, palms facing downwards. Your head is in line with your trunk, and you look straight down. Your legs are pressed together and your toes are pointed.
- Now the active phase of the arms starts. Your palms rotate outwards, your arms separate, and your body forms an Y-like shape.
- When your arms are outside of your shoulders, your elbows flex, and your hands continue to move backwards but also downwards. Your knees start to flex and your feet start to recover towards the buttocks.
- Once your hands have moved past behind your shoulders they move towards each other rather than backwards, until they meet under the chest.
- As your hands move towards each other your head and shoulders rise above water, and your feet continue to move towards the buttocks.
- Your upper body is at it's highest point when your hands have met below your chest and your feet are at your buttocks.
- Now the propulsive phase of the legs starts. Your feet kick backwards and apart while your arms extend forward under water. Your chest and your head drop in the water again.
- Once your legs are completely extended they are brought together. You then glide for a short moment in that position.
- You start a new breaststroke cycle once the momentum of the glide fades.
- The chest is pressed downwards, then released.
- The arms move a little bit outwards, then bend at the elbows and the forearms and palms are brought into a backwards facing position.
- The chest starts to rise.
- The hands move backwards and inwards towards the chest.
- Simultaneously, the hips drive down and the knees bend.
- The hands arrive below the chest and change directions to move towards the hips.
- As the hands move from below the chest towards the hips, a first dolphin kick occurs.
- Shortly after the chest and shoulders are at their highest point and clear the water.
- The hands exit the water close to the hips with the palms facing inwards and the recovery of the arms start.
- The arms hover above the water surface and return to their initial position. Simultaneously the palms rotate so that at the end of the recovery they are turned downwards again.
- When the arms are fully extended forward and shoulder width apart, they enter the water.
- A second dolphin kick occurs.
- The next stroke cycle begins.
Pictures and Diagrams of swimming