Swimming stroke

Human swimming typically consists of repeating a specific body motion or swimming stroke to propel the body forward. There are many kinds of strokes, each defining a different swimming style or crawl.

In high school, collegiate, and Olympic swimming, there are two undulating strokes (breaststroke and butterfly stroke) and two alternating strokes (front crawl and backstroke).

Most strokes involve rhythmic and coordinated movements of all major body parts — torso, arms, legs, hands, feet, and head. Breathing typically must be synchronized with the strokes, too. It is possible, however, to swim by moving only legs without arms or only arms without legs; such strokes may be used for special purposes, for training or exercise, or by amputees and paralytics, such as Paralympians.

Swimming styles

Within a competitive sense particularly, swim stroke techniques are continuously changing to become either easier or more efficient as more people explore the activity.

A study done by Barbosa Tiago M. called Energetics and biomechanics as determining factors of swimming performance: Updating the state of the art discusses the relationship between segmental kinematics and center of mass kinematics in competitive swimming, focusing on how stroke length (SL) and stroke frequency (SF) influence swimming velocity (v) and performance. Freestyle is the fastest stroke, followed by Butterfly, Backstroke, and Breaststroke, with performance variations depending on distance and stroke technique. A decline in velocity during a race is linked to a decrease in SL, with greater reliance on SF for speed when SL is short. High-level swimmers maintain higher and more stable spatial-temporal parameters, particularly in Freestyle, where SF variability is lower than in Backstroke. Across laps, both genders exhibit a “zig-zag” pattern in SF, peaking during the final lap, with this pattern being more pronounced in males and less variable among elite swimmers. A study done by Rejman Marek called Goggle-free swimming as autonomous water competence from the perspective of breath control on execution of a given distance explored adolescents’ ability to maintain breathing rhythm while swimming with and without goggles, emphasizing water competence over stroke techniques. Results showed that the absence of goggles negatively impacted breath control for both genders, with boys struggling more to swim effectively and safely. The study recommends incorporating goggle-free swimming into elementary education, focusing on simple forms of swimming for breath control training, and accounting for gender differences in visual perception and motor control during instruction.

Special purpose styles

A number of strokes are only used for special purposes, e.g. to manipulate an object (a swimmer in distress, a ball), or just to stay afloat.

Underwater swimming

Swimming underwater is faster than swimming on the surface. Underwater swimming is not its own category in the Olympics, but in the 1988 Olympics several competitors swam much of the backstroke race underwater. After that, the Olympics created a rule that swimmers are only allowed to stay underwater for the first 10 meters (later changed to 15 meters) after a start or a turn.

Any style with underwater recovery can be done underwater for certain distances depending on the need for air. Underwater swimming on the back has the additional problem of water entering the nose. To avoid this, the swimmer can breathe out through the nose or wear a nose clip. Some swimmers can close their nostrils with the upper lip or with the compressor naris muscles.

  • Dolphin kick: The feet kick up and down, while pressed together. This is the style that is usually used at the beginning of the race, to hold on to the speed the swimmer generates by pushing off the walls at the start and the turns. When it is used for underwater swimming, the arms are usually extended in front of the head, keeping still with the hands together.
  • Fish kick: Similar to the dolphin kick, but performed while on the swimmer's side. This may be the fastest form of swimming. Swimming creates vortices which propel the swimmer forward. In the dolphin kick, the vortices go up and down, where they're disturbed when they hit the surface of the water or the bottom of the pool. But with the fish kick, they go sideways, where there are no obstructions.
  • Pull-down Breaststroke: most common swim stroke underwater as it requires very low energy. Main application is for dynamic apnea (DNF)
  • Sea lion stroke: based on the swimming style of sea lions, this swimming stroke is primarily performed with sculling, arms at the side along the bodyline and strongly supported with flutter kicks in a contralateral sequence. It is very effective when swimming through narrow underwater places.

Lifesaving strokes

  • Lifesaving stroke: Similar to the side stroke, but only the bottom arm moves while the top arm tows a swimmer in distress.
  • Lifesaving approach stroke (also known as head-up front crawl or Tarzan stroke): Similar to the front crawl, but with the eyes to the front above the water level, such as to observe the surroundings as for example a swimmer in distress or a ball.
  • Pushing rescue stroke: This stroke helps to assist a tired swimmer: The tired swimmer lies on the back and the rescuer swims a whip kick and pushes against the soles of the tired swimmer (not taught or recognized by the RLSS body governing UK lifeguarding).
  • Pulling rescue stroke: This stroke helps to assist a swimmer in distress. Both swimmers lie on the back, and the rescuer grabs the armpits of the swimmer in distress and performs a whip kick (on the back) for forwarding motion. The kick has to be not too shallow as otherwise the victim will be hit.
  • Extended Arm Tow (unconscious victim): swimming sidestroke or breaststroke on their back, the rescuer holds the head with a straight arm, the hand cupping underneath the chin, and ensures that the mouth and nose are out of the water.
  • Arm Tow: the rescuer swims sidestroke, behind the casualty holds the upper right arm of a casualty with their left hand or vice versa, lifting the casualty out of the water.
  • Vice Grip Turn and Trawl: used on a victim with a suspected spinal injury. The lifeguard approaches slowly to the victim (who is usually face down in water), places one hand on the victim's chin, with arm pressed firmly against the victim's chest. The other hand is placed on the back of the victim's head with the arm down the victim's back. Both arms press together (like a vice), and the lifeguard uses his feet to begin moving forward and then rolls under the victim to come up alongside her or him, but with the victim now on his or her back. (This is one of the hardest lifesaving maneuvers, as the grip must be perfect on the first attempt; otherwise, the victim may be given further spinal damage, such as paralysis.)
  • Clothes swimming: The swimmer is wearing clothes that restrict movement when wet, i.e. almost all clothes. This is done to practice situations where the swimmer fell in the water dressed or the rescuer did not have time to undress. Due to the restricted movement and the weight of wet clothes out of the water, overarm recovery is harder, which makes a style with underwater recovery, like the breaststroke, the better option.
  • Rescue tube swimming: The lifeguard pulls a flotation device, which is pushed forward when approaching the victim.

Without forward motion

  • Survival floating (also known as dead man float and drownproofing): Lying on the prone (face down in water) with minimal leg movement, and staying afloat with the natural buoyancy. Lift the head to breathe only then back to floating. This style is only to stay afloat and to rest.
  • Back floating: Similar to the survival floating, except on the back.
  • Treading water: The swimmer is in the water head up and feet down. Different kicks, such as the whip kick or eggbeater kick, and hand movements (Sculling) are used to stay afloat. This is useful to keep the head out of the water for a better view or to catch an object as for example in water polo. In addition, treading water is used in training by competitive swimmers in order to build up the strength of the kick; butterfly or scissors kick are most common when training vertically.
  • Sculling: This is a figure 8 movement of the hands for forward motion or upward lift. Used in surf lifesaving, water polo, synchronized swimming and treading water.
  • Turtle float: The knees are raised to the chest and encircled by the arms.
  • Jellyfish float: Holding the ankles with the hands.
  • Head first surface dive
  • Foot first surface dive
  • Pencil float

See also

References

  1. ↑ "David Berkoff and Daichi Suzuki's Underwater Duel in '88". 11 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "How to Develop an Awesome Underwater Dolphin Kick". 21 July 2020.
  3. ↑ "Is This New Swim Stroke the Fastest Yet?". 25 June 2015.
  4. ↑ Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, p. 1142, at Google Books
  5. ↑ Royal Life Saving Society Canada (2017). Canadian Lifesaving Manual. Lifesaving Society. p. 208. ISBN 9780920326466.
  6. 1 2 "Archived copy" (PDF). www.usscouts.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Barbosa et al., “Energetics and Biomechanics as Determining Factors of Swimming Performance.” Rejman, Rudnik, and Stallman, “Goggle-Free Swimming as Autonomous Water Competence from the Perspective of Breath Control on Execution of a given Distance.”