Swimming Test Sketiiitt

2. Number one sport/ Easy on Bones and Joints

Swimming is the nations #1 participatory sport. Swimming is less jarring to the bones and joints of the body because of the buoyant effect of the water.

Primary upward (Buoyant)

force of the water is directed though a point in the chest area called the center of buoyancy of the body. The air in the lungs makes the chest area the most buoyant section of the body.

5. Survival Floating

is a means to remain afloat in deep water for long periods of time with minimum effort. The body is relaxed and the face is down with the arms extended out in front of the head. Breathing is accomplished by pressing down with the hands while lifting the head. There is no kicking action.

4. Treading Water

is a skill designed to support the body in an upright position in deep water with the head kept out of the water. Several types of kicks may be used: the scissor kick, whip kick, long flutter, or rotary(egg beater) kick.

Breaststroke

is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on their chest and the torso does not rotate. In competitive swimming, the breaststroke is regarded as one of the most difficult strokes, requiring comparable endurance and leg strength to other strokes. is the slowest of the four official styles in competitive swimming. It is also often the hardest to teach to rising swimmers due to the importance of timing and the coordination required to move the legs properly. Breaststroke is swam while leaning on the chest, with the arms only breaking the surface of the water slightly and legs always underwater, while the head is underwater for the second half of the stroke. The kick is sometimes referred to as a "frog kick" because of the resemblance to a frog's kick, but when done correctly it is more of a "whip kick" due to the whip-like motion that moves starting at the core down through the legs. The body is often at a steep angle to the forward movement. This slows down the swimmer more than any other style. Professional breaststrokers utilize abdominal muscles and hips to add extra power to the kick, although most do not perfect this technique until the collegiate level. This much faster form of breaststroke is referred to as "wave- action" breaststroke and fully incorporates the whip-kick. A special feature of competitive breaststroke is the underwater pullout. From the streamline position, one uses the arms to pull all the way down past the hips. As the arms are pulling down, one downward dolphin kick is allowed (as of the 2005 season), though still optional (However, any upward motion with the dolphin kick is strictly forbidden, and will result in a disqualification). This is followed by the recovery of the arms to the streamline position once more, and then a kick. The pullout at the start and after the turns contributes significantly to the swimming times. Therefore one way to improve the swimming times is to focus on the start and the turns.

Elementary Backstroke

is considered a resting stroke because it has a glide phase and is a low energy stroke. The recovery phase is done under the water. The kick that is used is called the Whip kick. The arms pull slowly up the side of the body, extend out a little higher than the shoulders, and press with force back to the hips. The arms and legs act simultaneous in the press and kick. It is important to keep the body as streamlines as possible because any bend in the waist will cause the hips to sink.

Law of Action/Reaction

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. ie. By pushing water backward with the hands and feet, the swimmer moves forward.

3. Important Skill / Save Life

Knowing how to swim is considered a very important skill because it may save your life.

1. Muscle Less Buoyant than / Fat

Muscle is less buoyant than fat because muscle tissue is more dense and weighs more.

2. Eddy Resistance (Drag)

The negative effects of drag in the water is reduced by keeping the body as straight and as streamlined as possible.

Law of Acceleration

The velocity of a body is proportional to the force applied and occurs in the direction in which the force acts. Simply stated, the harder the swimmer presses backward against the water, the faster the swimmer will move forward.

6. Safe / Red Cross

To be considered safe in deep water by the American Red Cross you should be able to jump in, level off the body, and proceed into a stroke.

Front Crawl

is the fastest and one of the most efficient of all swimming strokes. It is also known as the Freestyle in competitive swimming. The stroke uses the flutter kick and an over the water arm recovery. The hand pulls down the imaginary mid-line of the body, catches the water, and pushes it back toward the feet. The most effective force is generated during the last phase of the stroke, which is called the finish. (catch, mid-pull, finish, recovery) The face is in the water with the water at about the swimmer's hairline. The flutter kick originates from the hip. A relaxed ankle and foot are necessary to have an effective kick. The knees bend slightly, but bending them too much will lead to over kicking and lead to fatigue. The swimmer should breathe by rolling the head to the side as the arm on the breathing side is one-half to three-quarters of the way through the stroke. The breathing should not interrupt the stroke. A breathe should be taken every two three, or four strokes to ensure adequate oxygen supply. The Front Crawl, is one of the mostly widely used strokes in the United States, and is often the choice for fitness swimmers.

Back Crawl

is the fastest stroke performed on the back. This stroke is also known as the Backstroke. The swimmer is on the back with the body almost horizontal to the surface of the water. The kick used is the flutter kick, which has been inverted. A regular breathing pattern should be established during each complete stroke. The arm action should be alternating and continuous. As one arm is pulling, the other arm should be recovering. The hand enters the water, little finger first, with the arm rotating at the shoulder. The catch is approximately 8-12 inches in the water, followed by the mid-pull with a slightly bent elbow halfway through the stroke, and ending with the hand returning to the hip for the finish. The most effective force in the Back Crawl is generated during the mid-pull.

Sidestroke

used primarily for recreational swimming, and is considered to be a resting stroke in because it employs a glide phase. This stroke is also used, with some minor adjustments, in Lifeguarding. The scissor kick is used with this stroke. The legs split, with the top leg moving forward and the bottom leg moving backward. The arm action is accomplished by a pull-push action. The front arm pulls and then the back arm pushes. During the glide, the body should be on it's side, with the bottom arm extended forward of the head, and the top arm extended toward the feet, with the palm resting on the thigh. As the front arm pulls, the legs move up into the kicking position(recover.) When the back arm pushes, the legs kick together, followed by a glide.