Swimming Techniques

Swimming Techniques

Front crawl, or freestyle is both the fastest and the most efficient swimming technique.   The ideal body position for the front crawl is having your body horizontal, with your body stretched out in a straight line.   Your face should be in the water, except when you come up for air, with the water at about the hairline.  
Look forward and slightly downward.   The arm stroke for the front crawl is generally one arm pushing back, and the other arm coming from your side.   In the front crawl, the arms provide about 80 percent of the propulsion, more than any other stroke.   The best way to use your arms efficiently is in an elongated S-pattern arm pull.   This gives you better propulsion on the water because you are always pushing against still water rather than water that is already in motion.   There are five phases in the arm stroke: 1. Entry 2. Catch 3. Pull 4. Follow-through 5. Recovery.   Two important things to remember when learning the stroke: 1. Keep elbows high 2. accelerate you hand speed until you have completed the follow-through.  
The leg kick generally performed using this method of swimming is the “flutter” kick.   The flutter kick provides only about 20 percent of the propulsion.   To do the flutter kick, move your legs up and down alternately in a steady, strong, constant motion.   As you kick downward, bend your knee slightly and keep your ankle loose.   As you kick upward, hold your knee relatively straight and raise your foot until your heel breaks the water surface.   If you bring your feet too far out of the water, may make a big splash, and contributes nothing to the propulsion of your body.   Your legs should only go twelve to sixteen inches below the surface of the water.
Breathing for the front crawl can be a bit provoking for people new to this style of stroke.   Some people twist their heads from side to side with every stroke, causing their bodies to do too much unnecessary movement.   The concept for breathing requires some coordination with the...