Swimming: Stroke Development Frontcrawl

Body Position
Streamlined and horizontal lying flat with your face in the water looking slightly downward and forward. Hips slightly lower than your shoulders with rotation of the shouldersand upper body. Head central and fixed turning to the left or right to breath. The hips should also roll in tune with the shoulders to eradicate any rigidity in the stroke. A common fault is snaking of the hips which swimmers should resolve as early as possible.

Kicking Action
Steady alternate kick keeping in line with the body and close to the water surface. Start the kicking action from your hip and use the whole of your leg with feet and toes pointed. Knees slightly bent with legs and feet passing close to each other creating a small amount of splash.

Breathing
Regular and controlled turning of the head to either side. Ensure quick intake of breath and blow strongly into the water as the face returns to its central position.

Following the leg kick after the hands have recovered forwards the body will be stretched out and lying flat in the water in a streamlined position with feet and toes pointed, hips are held high with your face in the water, hands are together with palms facing slightly outwards to keep a hold of the water; At this point of the stroke cycle the pull commences, the head and shoulders will lift and a large breath is taken. The body will rise and fall in relation to the kick, pull breathing patern creating a wave like undulating flow through the stroke cycle.