Swim Mid-term

Describe the body position/motion for backstroke

-flex hips slightly with feet barely churning the surface of the water -head position is important; the water line usually runs from the middle of the top of the head to the tip of the chin with the ears being under water -head position depends largely on the body type, buoyancy, level of skill and speed of the swimmer -like the front crawl, you need good body roll to be effective and efficient

Describe the Arm Stoke for elementary backstroke

-from glide position, begin with the recovery phase -keep hands pointed down and in touch with the body to a point just below the armpit -extend arms out to the side reaching up and back no farther than the top of the head -keep hands just below the surface of the water and use a smooth sweeping motion

Describe arm strokes for freestyle

-hand enters the water in front of the shoulder index finger first -keep elbow bent--hand enters water 3/4 as far as you can reach -arm enters fingers first followed by elbow -extend arm after entry--this gives you more leverage and longer sweeping motion -the arm stroke resembles an S shape -it begins with the catch, followed by the mid-pull and ending with the finish catch -hand is pitched out and down with the wrist slightly flexed and the elbow slightly higher than the hand midpull -elbows are bent approximately 90 ° -the hands do not cross the midline -the pull goes from deep to shallow giving you both progression and lift finish -straighten your arm and keep it fully extended -your thumb should brush your thigh -your hand should gain speed -finish is the fastest, most efficient and productive phase of stroke recovery -keep your hand and arm relaxed with elbow high and forearm hanging down -your fingers come out of the water first -don't drop your elbow (most common mistake)

Breaststroke leg drills

Breaststroke Kick On Back -emphasize angle of hips being as open as possible (hands at side) -check knees - if they are coming out of water, swimmer is drawing knees under body instead of raising heels toward hips -emphasize streamline position creating little drag (hands overhead) 4 Breaststroke Kick with Arms in Front -keep arms straight -during kick, keep water level at hairline -count your kicks and try to cover the distance in fewer kicks each time -with advanced level, keep your chin on the surface of the water Breaststroke with Arms at Sides -tuck hand under buttocks and touch heels to hands on leg recovery -try to feel upward lift -emphasize accelerating legs together

Describe breaststroke

Breaststroke is the oldest known stroke. It is the slowest of the competitive strokes. It is the only competitive stroke where the arms recover underwater. Because of the underwater recovery, breaststroke is also considered to be a resting stroke.

Butterfly leg drills

Dolphin Kick Under Water -object is to overemphasize the action of the hips and legs -motion is slower than normal concentrating on the overemphasis Dolphin Kick On Side -object is to emphasize kicking motion is both forward and backward -this action transfers to kicking both up & down during the stroke -leading arm is out in front with trailing arm on thigh Dolphin Kick On Back -more advanced drill -emphasize good foot speed kicking both up and down -hands can be at sides starting out and overhead for more advanced swimmers Vertical Lift -object is to develop fast feet and good undulation -keep hands in air if possible -change direction on signal

Describe freestyle

Freestyle is the term used for the competitive stroke, which is also known as the Front Crawl and the Australian Crawl.

Describe Sidestorke

Sidestroke is used as a resting stroke and a long distance stroke because it uses very little energy and has underwater arm recovery. It is also used in lifesaving maneuvers and activities because the kick can be very powerful.

Freestyle leg drills

Streamline Position - Flutter Kick -water line should be at your hairline -raise chin to get breath of air -do not separate hands or break at elbows -support body with kick Streamline Position - Chin on Surface -advanced drill made more difficult because raising chin causes body to set lower in the water -emphasize heels barely breaking surface of water -fast feet 4 Strokes per 25 yards -emphasize arms in streamline position -when you need a breath, take a stroke with your arm -need strong and steady 6 beat kick -alternate arm stroke whenever you need breath Kick on Your Side -keep one eye under water and the other one out -one arm out front, the other on thigh -top shoulder should be out of the water Alternate Sides -6 kicks on one side, then 6 kicks on the other -stroke with arms when you need change positions

Describe elementary backstroke

The elementary backstroke is mainly used for resting, leisure, or survival. It is considered to be a resting stroke due to the underwater recovery of the arms.

Describe Body Position/Motion for sidestroke

the body is on it's side with the legs, back in a straight line -the arm closest to the bottom of the pool is called the leading arm while the trailing arm is extended resting on the thigh -lower ear rests in the water close to the shoulder -keep your face high enough out of the water for easy breathing -head and back stay aligned throughout the stroke

Describe the kick for butterfly stroke

butterfly stroke uses the dolphin kick which is similar to the whipping motion of the flutter kick except that both legs move together -the kick starts at the hips with the knees starting bent on the downbeat and straight on the upbeat -swimmers must use hips much more on the dolphin kick than on the flutter kick -must think of kick using the whole body and not just the legs

Describe the kick for breast stroke

-breaststroke is the only stroke where the kick is as effective as the arm stroke -begin in the glide position with legs straight and ankles relaxed -during recovery, legs bend at the hips and knees while drawing heels up toward buttocks -as you recover, separate knees outside hips and heels outside of knees -keep your heels just under the surface of the water -at the end of recovery, flex ankles pulling your toes toward your leg and rotate feet outward -keep feet flexed and with a whipping motion, press feet out and back around until feet and ankles touch legs should now be straight and in a glide position -draw knees no farther forward than hips and increase speed of feet during whipping motion -keep feet flexed and outside of knees for extra power

Describe the breathing/timing for breaststroke

-breathe near the end of the arm pull -raise your head above surface and inhale -breathe forward, and not up, maintaining your body position -as your arms start to recover, put your head back into the water -remember to pull and breathe -- kick and glide -- pull and breathe -- kick and glide

Describe the arm stroke for breaststroke

-characterized by a sweeping motion -sweep out --- sweep in -different from other strokes in that everything takes place under the water surface catch -begins at the end of the glide with arms stretched out in front of you -angle hands downward with palms at a 45° angle from the water surface -with arms straight, sweep out until hands are wider than shoulders, pressing palms out midpull -bend elbows and pull or sweep down and out until palms pass under elbows -the midpull and the beginning of the finish is the most effective phase of the stroke finish -rotate wrists and sweep hands in, up and back slightly below the feet -palms end up under the chin -pitch of the palms is very important--they should always be pushing water toward the feet propelling the swimmer forward -for good propulsion, elbows need to be pointed out and stay at a level between the hands and the shoulders and not much farther back than the shoulders recovery -recovery happens under water -the palms angle toward each other -squeeze elbows together and extend arms forward -during the extension, the hands can be either up or down -at the end during the

Describe the Arm Stoke for sidestroke

-during the power phase, the leading arm uses a shallow pull unless the swimmer is not buoyant whereby the swimmer may use a deeper pull -adjust the pull for good body position -from the glide position, rotate leading arm outward in the direction you are facing -bend your arm at the elbow and sweep downward and backward toward the feet until the hand is in line with the chest -recover leading arm by rotating shoulder, dropping elbow and turning palm upward -pass hand under ear and extend palm down to full extension -the trailing arm starts with recovery -bring forearm forward until in front of opposite shoulder -keep palm down and pitch slightly forward -for power phase, keep elbow close to body and sweep hand down and backward -arm should not pass beyond the thigh

Describe the breathing/timing for backstroke

-exhale when one arm is recovering -inhale when the other arm is recovering

Describe the Body Position/Motion for breaststroke

-extend the arms in front of the head -keep palms down and under the surface of the water (creates less drag) -the water line should be approximately at the hairline -keep your back straight and hips just below the surface of the water -the stroke is a rocking motion which comes due to lift from the arm stroke followed by the lift and propulsion of the leg stroke

Describe the body position/motion for butterfly stroke

-key to swimming the butterfly is to be able to relax and use body in a smooth flowing motion or wave-like action

Describe the kick for backstroke

-like the front crawl, you use the flutter kick -your feet move slightly deeper in the water -the motion starts in the hip and moves down the leg ending with a snap -keep your ankles loose and floppy with your toes slightly pigeon toed -the cadence is usually a 6 beat cadence but every swimmer is different

Describe the arm stroke for backstroke

-looks like a windmill -arms are in constant opposition with one arm recovering while the other arm pulls (called opposition rhythm) -arms enter straight while you roll your body to the side of the entry arm -the hands enter the water outside of the shoulder with the little fingers entering first, palms to the outside with the wrist angling slightly down catch -sweep hand goes out and down mid-pull -follow pattern started during the catch -continue to bend the elbow as the forearm passes the chest (90°) -bend your wrist upward and inward -the midpull is the most effective phase of the back crawl finish -hands speed up -your wrists are extended -you finish with a straight arm recovery -arm remains straight and relaxed -lift your shoulder out of the water first to begin the body roll

Describe body position/motion for freestyle

-position of the head affects the rest of the body (deeper position brings hips up) - hold head still--no side to side motion -head should always look forward unless taking a breath -waterline usually between hairline and eyebrows but depends on body composition -body should rotate around the midline (body roll) -good body roll depends on three things 1)high elbow on recovery arm 2)strong downsweep on lower arm, 3)sideways force of kicks as legs roll -good body roll does several things 1)gives a good rhythm to the stroke 2)makes breathing easier 3)helps to maintain good position

Describe the arm stroke for the butterfly stroke

-similar to front crawl except both arms move together instead of separately -both arms do a letter S forming what appears as a keyhole catch -involves an outward sculling motion with arms extended out in front of the shoulders with the wrists flexed slightly down and palms pitched to the outside -pull outward until the hands are wider than the shoulders midpull -continue the sculling motion sweeping the arms around, in and back bending the elbows and changing the pitch of the hand from outward to inward -midpull should end somewhere near the midline of the body with the arms bent 90° and the hands under the chest and the elbows higher than the hands finish -continue to press hands back toward feet and accelerate hands -the finish is the most effective phase of the butterfly stroke while the midpull is the least effective recovery -using the wave action of the body, keep the arms and hands relaxed as they sweep just above the surface of the water, moving symmetrically.

Freestyle tips

-small fast kick -rotate legs from side to side -kick should be steady & strong (not necessarily bigger) -hand entry should be right in front of shoulder, palms out and fingertips first (clears air bubbles off of your arm) -the main idea is to get an arm full of water and accelerate hands through to the finish -recovery starts with elbow and shoulder up first (with one elbow and shoulder up, it allows the other arm to reach deeper for a more powerful stroke) -breathe every 3 strokes for balance (side to side)

Butterfly tips

-small fast kicks - feet stay under surface of the water -hand entry - out in front of shoulder - fingers in first -accelerate hand speed in finish -during recovery - little finger comes out of water first - keep up through the first part of recovery phase to avoid exposing chest to water causing resistance

Describe the Body Position/Motion for elementary backstroke

-swimmer is supine in the water -uses symmetrical motion (both sides of the body work together) -starting in the glide position, the back is straight, the legs together and the hands are at your sides with your palms facing inward toward the body -hips and legs are slightly lower than the shoulders depending on the buoyancy of the swimmer

Describe the breathing/timing for freestyle

-taking a breath can occur every cycle or every 11/2 cycles depending upon the person and the situation -turn your head as the arm begins to pull -the action through the water should produce a trough in the water -keep your head down--raising your head will cause your hips to go down -exhale all of your air under water so that you can inhale more quickly when the timing is right

Describe the kick for sidestroke

-uses the scissors kick -this kick allows swimmer to rest in between stroke -from the glide position, recover legs by flexing hips and knees and drawing heels up toward buttocks -to prepare for kick, flex top ankle and point toes of bottom foot -move legs to the catch position top leg to front -- straight bottom leg to back -- bent at knees -press backward with the top leg and forward with the back leg -keep hips steady and in line with rest of body

Describe the breathing/timing for the butterfly stroke

-there are two kicks for each arm stroke -as hands enter the water for the catch, raise your hips, kick and recover -start second kick as you press through power phase of the stroke and finish kick at the end of the power phase -toward the end of the second kick, get prepared to take a breath -breathe forward, keeping your chin close to the surface not backward so your hips don't sink -some swimmers breathe on every stroke, some on every other stroke and some on every third stroke

Backstoke tips

-to be successful in backstroke, swimmers need to have a great kick -hand entry - outside of shoulder 8" to 12" deep -for maximum strength in midpull, swimmers need a 90° angle at the elbow -hands should finish along sides of hips with maximum acceleration -palm faces the bottom of pool on finish phase of stroke to help bring arm up during recovery -during stroke, we do not swim on our backs -- we swim side to side

Describe the kick for freestyle

-use the flutter kick -the downward motion is the most effective part -motion starts at thigh and goes down to foot snapping at the end of the down beat -foot barely breaks the surface of the water (creates less drag) -foot motion usually ranges from 12 - 15 inches -cadence or rhythm varies from 2 beats /stroke to 6/stroke depending upon the distance of race

Backstroke leg drills

Back Flutter Kick with Arms Overhead -emphasize a small fast kick (faster does not mean bigger) Back Dolphin Kick with Arms Overhead -fundamental drill for great speed (helps all other strokes) Hands in Small of Back -prevents hips from dropping in water (common mistake in beginning swimmers) Hands at Side Shoulder Roll -emphasize role of shoulder in water -arms are at sides -hold head still

Describe backstroke

Backstroke is the term used for the competitive stroke which is also known as the Back Crawl. This stroke is actually swum from side to side.

Describe the Breathing/Timing for elementary backstroke

Describe the Kick for elementary backstroke

Breaststroke arms drills

Half-Pull Breaststroke -designed to help keep your hands in front of your face -sweep out -- sweep in -emphasize quick hands -most swimmers overpull arm stroke under their chest (causes loss of momentum and sinking before next stroke can begin) Breaststroke Arms with Flutter Kick -designed to emphasize fast hands -hands to try to stay as fast as feet motion -fast hands -- fast feet Breaststroke Arms with Dolphin Kick -designed to help in timing of the breaststroke -emphasize getting hip lift and reaching out into catch 3 Kicks with One Full Arm Cycle -designed to get streamlined position between each stroke -do not breathe between strokes (hypoxic training) -emphasize streamline position (arms together, head tucked between biceps) Full Stroke Breast Stroke -bringing together of all drills -emphasize continual arm movement -- sweeping out , sweeping in Jumps -used as alternate exercise to emulate breaststroke kick and to build muscles used for kick -put both hands on head, spread feet shoulder width apart with toes pointing out -jump for thirty to sixty seconds making sure to count jumps, then try to improve # of jumps Flexibility & Strength -lie on stomach on deck or mat, pull heels up to buttocks -reach back with hands and grab ankles, pull thighs off of the ground -good for strengthening lower back and improving flexibility

Butterfly arms drills

One Arm Only -object is good hand acceleration under body -relaxed recovery with little finger on top -hand enters out in front of shoulder -emphasize timing of stroke especially the two dolphin kicks and keeping the feet underwater -swimmers breathe at side 3 Left Arm Only - 3 Right Arm Only -object is to stress same technique as one arm only drill -look for sculling action out front and fast acceleration near finish 4 Full Strokes -prevents swimming broken down strokes -allows for practicing 4 perfect strokes -no breathing - concentrate on stroke mechanics Full Stroke Butterfly -emphasize hands in front of shoulders -when breathing, chin doesn't leave the water (allows swimmer to work hips better) -accelerate speed on both feet and hands

Backstroke arm drills

One Arm Only -one arm stays at side but both shoulders should roll -concentrate on deep catch and acceleration -good shoulder rotation and hand speed One Arm Up -more advanced kicking drill -shoulder should be rotated up and out of water 3 Right & 3 Left -emphasize deep catch (12" to 16") -important to swim over the water, not through - must have good shoulder rotation -drive hand hard to get deep catch 3 Seconds & Roll -emphasize rotation of shoulders -emphasize side to side -designed to help swimmer feel motion Goggles on the Forehead -emphasizes keeping head still -shoulders rotate but head stays still Spin Drill -emphasizes speed of arm movements -rotate arms quickly and get back out of water Eyes Closed -object is to determine strengths and weaknesses of stroke - swimmer will veer one way or the other if stroke is not balanced -need a partner to prevent swimmer from hitting wall with head Full Stroke Backstroke -look for fast feet -continuous arm movement without hesitation -perfect head position while body rotates -relaxed face - keeps shoulders from tightening up

Freestyle arm drills

Single Arm Free -right arm out front, left arm pulling -expect acceleration on front of stroke and high elbow recovery -think of it as a kick drill with a little arm work -hand comes in under the body -accelerate hands on back part of stroke Single Arm with Other Arm at Side -make sure both shoulders are involved in body roll even though only arm is stroking Catch Up -designed for smoothness and hand acceleration at end of arm stroke -breathe every third stroke -need fast feet -emphasize holding one arm stays in front until other arm recovers Full Freestyle Stroke -unification of all drills -emphasize well-balanced steady kick -streamlined body -good hand placement in front of shoulder

Describe the Kick for elementary backstroke

beginning in the glide position, the legs together and toes are pointed -both legs bend at the knee, push out and around in a whipping motion -to begin the recovery, bend legs and separate knees while you draw heels downward to a point under and wider than the knees -the knees should be wider than the hips depending on the flexibility of the swimmer -rotate the knees slightly inward, flex the ankles and rotate feet outward -push feet out & around ending in the glide position toes pointed -for the most power, make sure your feet gain speed throughout the whipping motion

Describe the breathing/timing for sidestroke

breathe with each stroke -inhale with recovery of trailing arm -exhale with power phase of trailing arm -the kick and trailing arm have the same power phase

Breaststroke tips

ise heels toward hips on leg recovery - do not draw knees under body causing drag -press back, down and out on arm stroke -common mistake for beginning swimmers is to pull too far back on arm stroke -some swimmers get more propulsion from outward and some get more from inward motion -when breathing, keep chin on surface of water -breaststroke is a timing stroke - very important to have the right timing