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.

Pulling Pattern Enter the hand into the water with forefingers and thumbs first and elbow held high stretching your arm to full extension. After hand entry the hand moves slightly out and down to the catch position. The hand then presses under the body and pushes backwards and outwards towards the thighs. The elbow then leaves the water first followed by your wrist and hand with your arm moving over the water close to your body for a controlled entry.

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.

Timing Ensure coordination of pulling, kicking and breathing into a continuous and consistent fluent movement for a smooth controlled stroke.

Turns Touch Turn. View the wall with your last arm stroke, touch with one hand, lift your knees towards your chest, place both your feet on the wall and pivot to the left or right, push with your touching hand and instantly push with both your legs to take you underwater just below the water surface, kick for a few seconds whilst underwater. Hands and feet come together underwater following the push off to develop excellent streamlining.

Dive Stand firmly on the poolside or starting block with toes rapped around the front edge. Place the hands to the side or the front; fingers will secure starting position with body weight slightly forwards. Dive out down the pool to full stretch; Pike at the highest point of the dive whilst in the air by dropping your head towards the water surface. The whole body enters through the point of contact which the fingers have made as if you were diving through a hoop. On entry into the water the body becomes streamlined underwater. Ensure the leg kick drives the body to the water surface. Maintain speed and allow the head to break the water first to swim full stroke. Never dive into shallow waters.

Elite Body Position The body position will be 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 shoulders and upper body to allow more power throughout the pull. The shoulders should remain relaxed allowing the swimmer to create a small amount of roll in the body so as to cut through the water in a streamlined fashion. 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. Head is central and fixed turning to the left or right to breath. The head position should be firmly fixed on water surface with the eyebrows and forehead touching the water surface. The feet should break the surface, creating some white water splash from the turbulent mixture of water and air.

Elite Pulling Pattern Enter the hand into the water with forefingers and thumbs first stretching your arm to full extension. After hand entry the hand moves slightly out and down to the catch position. The hand then presses under the body and pushes backwards and outwards towards the thighs and moving back to full extension past the hips and costume line. The pull will follow a slight 'S' pattern through and under the body. Always keep the water on the palms of your hands during the pull. The elbow then leaves the water first followed by your wrist and hand. At all stages of the arm recovery the elbow pitch remains higher than the hand. The hand maintains close proximity to the water surface with the elbow held high as your arm moves over the water close to your body for a controlled entry and full stretch, the pulling pattern is then repeated.

Elite Kicking Action Alternate kick keeping in line with the body and close to the water surface. Do not kick too deep. Start the kicking action from your hip and use the whole of your leg kicking through to your feet and toes with feet and toes pointed. Never drive the kick from your knees. Knees will be slightly bent with legs and feet passing close to each other with your feet creating a small amount of turbulent white water splash. Increase the speed of kick for greater power over shorter distances by executing a six beat leg kick, (six leg kicks to every full arm cycle). The kick for distance swimmers is mainly used for balance. Always keep your hips high to the water surface.

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. Bilateral breathing to the left and right of every third stroke will help develop overall balance.

Timing Ensure coordination of pulling, kicking and breathing into a continuous and consistent fluent movement for a smooth controlled stroke. Develop the optimum power production within each stroke for a given speed by identifying your individual stroke count and stroke rate. The relationship of stroke length should be identified with the above and varies with each individual and event requirements. Develop optimum feel for the water by the amount of resultant and propulsive force that you apply for a given speed and find true efficiency.

Turns Tumble Turn. Focus onto the wall five metres away and aware of how many strokes it takes you to reach the wall. On the penultimate stroke the hand is taken down under the body at right angles towards your opposite hip in order to pivot around the wall. Do not execute the frontcrawl tumble turn in a head over heals fashion as you will be left on your back. As the feet are planted on the wall the leading arm finds a straight direction to follow whilst underwater. Once the feet have been firmly placed they drive off the wall with both hands together underwater, push off underwater to create a streamlined position, hold for two seconds after the push off; This will keep the body under the oncoming wave you have created and cut back on resistance; After a short glide start to kick with frontcrawl or dolphin legs underwater for another two seconds, the head then breaks the surface first to resume full stroke.

Dive Stand firmly on the poolside or starting block with toes rapped around the front edge. Place hands to the side or front of the starting block; Fingers will secure starting position with body weight slightly forwards. Dive out down the pool to full stretch; Pike at the highest point of the dive whilst in the air in order to enter the water surface, the whole body enters through the same point of contact on the water surface as if you were diving through a hoop; Snap out of this position and into a streamlined position on immediate entry into the water in order for the body to follow through the same point of entry. Hold a streamlined position for approximately four seconds underwater with a continuous frontcrawl or dolphin leg kick to maintain speed. It is possible to find greater speed whilst underwater due to good streamlining and momentum. Ensure the leg kick drives the body to the water surface; maintain speed and lift the head to break the water surface in order to resume full stroke. If you dive too flat you will loose speed through the water and effort from the poolside or starting block will be lost. Never dive into shallow waters.

Body Position Lying flat and streamlined with your face in the water in a horizontal position.

Breathing Regular consistent breathing by controlled turning of the head to the side.

Dive Stand firmly on the poolside with toes around the front edge. Place hands to the side or front of the legs; Hands & Fingers will secure body position with body weight very slightly forwards. Dive out down the pool to full stretch; At the highest point of the dive drop the head towards the water s u rface, the whole body then enters through the same point of contact on the water surface which the hands, arms and head has cut as if you were diving through a hoop; Come out of this position and into a streamlined position following entry into the water in order for the body to become streamlined. Hold a streamlined position for a short time underwater and start a continuous frontcrawl leg kick to maintain speed. It is possible to find greater speed whilst underwater due to good streamlining and momentum. Ensure the leg kick helps drive the body to the water surface. Never dive into shallow waters.

Kicking Action Constant alternating leg kick using the whole of your leg pointing your feet and toes and creating a small splash keeping your legs in line with the body.