Swimming Technique Concepts: Technique Similarities Across The Four Competitive Strokes
By Rod Havriluk
Although there are obvious differences in technique elements across all four competitive strokes, there are many similarities. Knowing about the similarities can help swimmers better understand specific movements and, consequently, make technique improvements more quickly.
Similarity in elbow flexion
There are technique elements common to all four strokes. For example, the underwater backward arm motion begins with elbow flexion (Fig. 1). Elbow flexion immediately and demonstrably improves leverage and, consequently, increases propulsion.
Many swimmers fail to begin the pull with elbow flexion, resulting in wasted motion and excess shoulder stress. Understanding the similarity in the beginning of the pull across all four strokes may enable a swimmer to master the skill in one stroke and then transfer that ability to another stroke.
Similarity in elbow flexion to 90 degrees
As the arms move backward to the shoulders, there is another technique element common to all four strokes. When the arms are in the vertical plane of the shoulders (Fig. 2), the angle at the elbow is 90 degrees for a fraction of a second. Of course, different arm motions in each stroke are necessary to achieve the right angle, but a swimmer might learn to flex the elbow in one stroke and transfer that ability to other strokes. For example, once a swimmer learns to achieve the elbow flexion shown for butterfly, which is fairly common (far right), he or she can use that information to achieve the elbow flexion for freestyle, which is less common (far left).
The rest of the article continues on to address:
- Similarity in head position: Free, fly, and breast
- Similarity in arm entry: Free and back
- Similarity in push phase: Free and fly
- Difference in elbow flexion: Fly and breast
To access this month’s full Swimming Technique Concept on stroke similarities,
Check out the March issue of Swimming World Magazine- Available Now!
[ PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK ]
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