Swimming Facts

March 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Swimming is the general term for what people do to move through the water. However, the technical term for what they are called is swimming strokes. There are a lot of different facts about swimming and swimming strokes that people do not know. Here is a look at some of the facts about swimming that you may or may not have known.

Types of Strokes. There are different types of swimming strokes that swimmers all over the world use. There is the butterfly stroke, backstroke, freestyle and even some called the sidestroke.

Benefits. Swimming and swim strokes have long been used as a leisure form of exercise. It has also been used as a way for people to compete against each other and even as a way to spend their warm summer days. Swimming has been around for a long long time.

Where it Started. Swimming does not have a place where it is invented. It dates back so long that many people do  not know who came up with what swim stroke and therefore it is just assumed everywhere has always had swimming. There is even evidence that there were Egyptian carvings and paintings with swimmers and swimming strokes.

The Doggy Paddle. Even though people make fun of the doggy paddle it is actually an actual swim stroke. It is believed to be the easiest swim stroke which is why many people learn it first before any other swim stroke.

Freestyle Competition. When there is a swimming competition that is titled freestyle the swimmers are allows to use any style of swimming they desire. In fact in competitions there is only 15 meters of underwater time for every swimmer the rest is done by swimming.

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How To Freestyle Stroke

February 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment
freestyle swimming

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In swimming there is a style known as the freestyle stroke. The freestyle stroke is commonly referred to as a front crawl or a sidestroke. You may notice that this is used in swimming competitions. However, the stroke known as the front crawl is the one that most use as it moves the swimmer faster through the water.

If you are considering learning the freestyle stroke hers is how you can do the freestyle stroke.

Line Visualization. You will want to try to think of a line running down the center of your body. This is the best way to keep the body afloat. You will want to think of the line as lying horizontally and you just pivoting on it from side to side.

Straight Legs. Your legs will need to be straight. You do not want to be too rigid as this will only result in problems. While swimming you will need to kick your legs up and down the whole time as this will help move you forward.

Windmill. When it comes to arm movements you will need to think of a windmill. IT is important to practice as one arm is above your head the other will be behind it. When the arm is down it should be fairly close to your body.

Hands. Hands are in a flat shape with the thumb a little ways away from the index finger. You will slightly bend your elbows and push your arms through the water as if you were crawling at a certain pace.

The Motion. To move you from one side to the other you will move your arms around in circles in order to propel you through the water. As you swim you will also be moving your head from side to side so that you can get proper breath. Your head will move as you move your arms above your head.

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Basic Back Stroke

November 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment
backstroke start, a number of male swimmers wa...
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For swimming long distances without tiring the backstroke might be the most effective manner to propel through the water. The basic backstroke is a far more effective way to move around the water than sculling, but it also is a more complex set of motions. Sculling is a continuous and tiring motion with the basic backstroke provide swimmer with a powerful and restful motion. Once a backstroke has been established inertia will help to carry the swimmer through the water.

The basic backstroke motion propels swimmers through the water at considerable speed and incorporates a stride that allows for moment of rest. Some exhausted swimmers have been able to rely on the basic backstroke motion when fatigue prevented them from using any other stroke.

The basic or elementary backstroke position starts with a back float. With finger extended swimmers should bring their hands to their shoulders. Arms should them extend out in a position that looks resemble a crucifix position. With arms at shoulder level, swimmers should them pull their arms to their side to push the water and propel their bodies.

The motion can be perfected by remembering to slide thumbs all the way to the shoulders in the beginning of a rotation. Hands and arms should be just under the surface of the water and pulls should be long and powerful. Swimmers should stop and glide after each stroke and remember to keep their hips up. The ease of this motion makes it ideal for long distances. Once mastered as swimmer could easily swim for miles with minimal effort. The key is to build up endurance and confidence prior to attempting a long distance swim.

In an 25-meter pool eight lengths equals 1/8 of a mile. For a swimmer to reach the mile mark it means going 64 lengths.

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Simple Water Locomotion

November 17, 2010 by Leave a Comment

By breathing calmly, quickly and deeply humans have the natural ability to remain at the surface of a body of water. From their swimming is as easy as moving around. Perhaps the simplest way to achieve motion for novice swimmers while keeping their head above water is a technique known as sculling. Sculling is an arm and hand motion that propels swimmers through water from a back float position. Sculling is also a way to keep floaters’ faces above water if the water is choppy or the swimmer is not naturally buoyant.

Sculling is the first propulsive move for many newbies. It is also the basis of synchronized swimming moves. From the back float position sculling can be easily achieved by rotating the heels of submerged hands back and forth. The motion is similar to polishing a car. From this position legs and feet can then be added to add propulsion, balance and support. A basic stroke is a leg kick which occur by bending the knee and alternating kicks between legs. A bike motion kick can also be used, which copies the motion of pedaling a bicycle. Proper technique when using either of these approaches required keeping feet and knees under the surface of the water. Ankles should be hooked when moving up and foot should be pointed when moving down so that the soles of feet can be used to push the water. Not splashing is more important than anything else, because breaking the surface of the water will damage both propulsion and support.

Once a swimmer has these techniques down the basics of back stroke have been learned. For beginners who are not comfortable combining movement with a back float proper form can be learned by adding a kickboard as a sort of aquatic training wheels. Once the floating and kicking without support have been mastered a swimmer is ready to as the arm pull to the backstroke.

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Free Style Technique

November 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Start of the final of the 400 m freestyle wome...
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Proper swimming technique is essential for swimmer to glide through rather than fight the water. For freestyle the arms provide most of the propulsive force. The hand should go into the water fingertips first with the palm facing down and out diagonally. The elbow should be higher than the hand, and the hand should enter the water at a spot directly in front of the shoulder.

A common mistake that novice swimmers make with attempting to swim in freestyle form is to have their arms cross at the center of their body rather than keeping it inline with their shoulder. As a swimmer’s arm hits the water it should not be fully extended until it pushes the water. The arm should accelerate as it enters the water pulling outward, down and back. At the maximum bend the arm should cross the body at the thigh and pushes back out at the hip. The pull in freestyle should resemble an inverted S pattern because the elbow should be higher than the hand.

The continuous leg action during freestyle is not a kick as much as it is a flexible movement that should be generated by the hips. The force of the leg movement does not add much to the movement of the body. Legs should be vertically separated by only about 10 to 16 inches depending of body size.

Proper breathing is more important that the force generated by the legs. Rotary breathing should be performed during every stroked cycle in line with the body roll and arm recovery. Swimmer need to breath in through their mouths as their bodies move sideways and them exhale as their mouths are about to go back underwater. When performing this stroke, swimmers should keep their bodies as streamlined and flat as possible. Their heads should stay with in the axis of their bodies, and their entire movement should be continuous and smooth.

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Ways to Maximize Efficiency Using the Freestyle Stroke

July 29, 2010 by Leave a Comment
freestyle swimming3
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Widely deemed as the most effective stroke in the swimmer’s repertoire, the freestyle is the bread and butter of most athlete’s swimming regiment. However unless a professional swimming coach is watching your technique, it may be easy to fall into some bad habits that can greatly inhibit the efficiency of this otherwise useful stroke. Here are a few tips to keep in mind for the next time you head into the water.

First and foremost, proper swimming posture is something that is easy to ignore and difficult to maintain. Dragging your hips low through the water adds unwanted resistance and slows your stroke. For this reason, a perfectly straight posture supported by a strong abdominal core is the goal. Although it may feel odd, your butt should be so high up that it is actually above the water. If you can feel this is happening (which you should be able to), you’ll know that your posture is correct.

Another bad habit that plagues swimmers is sloppy arm movements. When fatigue sets in, it can be easy to let your arms flop about, moving over your shoulders at a three-quarters pitching angle. Since the goal is to make your body as long as possible, this is counterproductive. One way to ensure that your arms are constantly at the proper angle is to run your thumbs up the side of your body as you begin each stroke. By doing this, you ensure that your arms stay close to the body, your strokes begin with your body fully extended, and that you are not wasting energy unnecessarily.

One final bad habit that many swimmers are guilty of is slapping the water with their hands on the way into the stroke. It is important to understand that this is not where your power comes from. The main power and propulsion comes after your hands are already in the water, when the arm is pulling down and back towards your feet. By directing your energy here instead of at the top of the stroke, you will immediately notice a difference.

By making these simple adjustments, you will quickly enjoy a much more efficient swimming experience.

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Ways to Maximize Efficiency Using the Breaststroke

June 5, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Breaststroke 2
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One of the most difficult strokes in swimming is the breaststroke. This is because it requires more concentration throughout the entire stroke than other strokes do, as it demands that several parts of your body work at very specific, very different times. Because of this, it becomes easy to forget mechanics or become lazy. However if the following tips are remembered and applied, the result should be a much easier, much more efficient breaststroke.

The first bad habit that plagues most swimmers attempting the breaststroke is the order of operations. In its simplest, the breaststroke is a frog kick combined with a forward facing, side-oriented arm pull. In other words, the arms head straight out, and then swing out to the sides as they head towards the feet. However it is important to remember that these two moves (the arms and the kick) do NOT happen in unison as many people tend to perform them. Instead, it is a cycle, similar to that of an engine stroke. As the arms pull, the legs should be preparing. Once the arms have completed their pull and are moving to the top of the stroke again, the legs should kick. By staggering these movements, swimmers ensure that some part of their body is constantly generating propulsion.

Another bad habit of breaststrokers is refusing to submerge their heads in the water. Although this stroke is the easiest of all strokes to perform from an upright position, doing so lowers your hips and increases your resistance in the water. Instead keep your head down and take breaths immediately after the arm pull to ensure the proper form and generate more speed through the water.

The final bad habit of swimmers performing the breaststroke is not performing it with enough power. Because it is such a complicated stroke mentally, often times performance suffers. However, it is not nearly as physically taxing as the freestyle, which means each part of the cycle can be performed easily with twice as much energy, thereby ensuring that the swimmer gets the most bang for their buck.

Although it is a complicated stroke, remembering these tips will make your breaststroke both easier and more efficient.

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Drills to Improve Your Freestyle

March 25, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Start of the final of the 400 m freestyle wome...
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For many people, the best way to get better at something is to do it as much as they can. However when dealing with something as complex as the freestyle swim stroke, a few targeted drills can perform wonders and greatly improve overall performance.

The first drill involves a kick board, which is inexpensive and can be found at any sporting goods store. Hold the kick board in front of you with both hands out, face down in the water. The goal here is to kick your way across the pool without the use of your arms and while using proper freestyle breathing techniques. This drill is huge for those beginners looking to get a good feel for breath timing, and also helps to highlight how important the legs are in the freestyle.

Flipping that drill, the next drill involves a pull buoy. Again, this is inexpensive and common and should yield results quickly. Holding the pull buoy between your legs, swim across the pool using only your arms. The pull buoy allows your legs to rest while helping them float so that you don’t incur any added resistance. This drill also helps to highlight how important your legs are, as it teaches you how difficult it is to move using just your arms.

One final drill that helps to improve your overall stroke is swim sprints. By swimming lengths as fast as you possibly can, you are getting your heart rate into a higher level than you otherwise would have. This is also a good drill to learn just how much lung capacity you have, as often times you can make it from one end of the pool to the other with just 2 or 3 breaths.

While practice makes perfect, sloppy practice is useless. By targeting your freestyle practices and incorporating some drills into your routine, you will keep your workouts fresh, effective, and most of all fun, and you should yield some pretty significant results quickly.

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Ways to Maximize Efficiency Using the Backstroke

March 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Gordan Kožulj from Croatia, swimming backstrok...
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The backstroke is one of the most common recovery strokes relied upon by swimmers who need to rest but who aren’t willing to stop exercising. While this stroke is incredibly useful when performed correctly, it is most often performed lazily and sloppily, costing swimmers much needed time and energy. Just a few simple adjustments however will quickly and easily improve the overall efficiency of this stroke.

The first thing to keep in mind is that having a rigid back will help you float and reduce drag in the water. Although this stroke is primarily designed for swimmers who need a rest, it’s important to remember that this is not the time to be lazy. Keeping a tight core and rigid back will help you float above the water, ensuring that you achieve the maximum distance with the minimum effort.

Another thing to be weary of is the shape of the arm movements. Many swimmers perform the backstroke like an upside down freestyle, bringing their arms far back over their heads and all the way around like a windmill. However this is not only less effective, it is also more exhausting. Instead, bring the arm straight back over the head and then use your strength to whip the arm sideways towards the feet, flapping like a bird instead of windmilling like a softball pitcher. The result will be a stronger pull and less fatigue, both of which will benefit the overall stroke.

Finally, don’t be afraid to let some water rush over the face. Just like the freestyle, controlled breathing is key in the backstroke. It is not a free pass to breath inconsistently and at will. Keeping your head back will reduce strain on your neck and allow some water to flood the face. However the strength of the pull should always be enough to naturally propel the head out of the water long enough to catch a breath, which means with a little bit of practice on the timing, breathing should be no difficulty.

Although the backstroke is a stroke geared for recovery, it is not geared towards laziness. Incorporate these adjustments to ensure a proper and efficient stroke.

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