Swimming Study Guide

1. Front Crawl:
The 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 feel 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.

2. Elementary Backstroke:
The 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.

3. Back Crawl:
The 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.

4. Sidestroke:
The Sidestroke is 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 its 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 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 its 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.

Physical Laws as Applied to Swimming:

1. The primary upward (buoyant) force of the water is directed through 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.

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.

3. Law of Action/ Reaction: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. i.e. By pushing water backward with the hands and feet, the swimmer moves forward.

4. 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.

Miscellaneous:
1. Muscle is less buoyant than fat because muscle is more dense and weighs more.

2. 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.

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

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.

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.

6. 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.