Swimming Techniques: Mastering Freestyle, Backstroke, and Breaststroke
Freestyle Technique
Body Position: Maintain a hydrodynamic, flat position with your head, spine, and legs aligned. Look at the bottom of the pool, except when breathing.
Rotation: Rotate around the central axis of your spine in the same plane as your hips. Keep approximately half of your body submerged for optimal hydrodynamics. The high shoulder should be on the recovery arm side, and the low shoulder on the pulling arm side.
Arm Movement:
- Forearm and Hand Recovery: Keep your elbows high and relaxed, hanging from the elbow. Swing your arm forward rather than pushing it, leading with your thumb.
- Forearm and Hand Entry: Enter the water with your hand just before your arm is fully extended.
- Forearm and Hand Pull: Describe a curve, moving outwards, inwards, outwards, and then pulling backwards.
Kicking: The leg kick is secondary to the pull, primarily for balance and rotation. It should be natural, not forced, and originate from the hips. Focus on faster feet movement during the pull, keeping your ankles flexible and your feet like fins, bringing your big toes together.
Breathing: Breathe every 3 pulls, alternating sides. Inhale outside the water through your mouth and exhale inside the water through your mouth and nose.
Backstroke Technique
Body Position: Maintain a hydrodynamic, flat position with your head, spine, and legs aligned. Look straight up in longer events and slightly back towards your feet in shorter events.
Rotation: Rotate around the central axis of your spine in the same plane as your hips. Keep approximately half of your body submerged for optimal hydrodynamics. The high shoulder should be on the recovery arm side, and the low shoulder on the pulling arm side, at about a 45-degree angle.
Arms: Keep your arms 180 degrees apart. Arm speed is controlled by kick speed. The recovery arm should be straight from wrist to shoulder and point straight up. Recover with your thumb first, keeping your arm straight from shoulder through wrist, with your hand facing in and then facing out.
Forearm and Hand Entry: Enter the water little finger first, directly above and just outside the shoulder with your arm fully extended. Body rotation allows the entry hand to reach deep into the catch.
Forearm and Hand Pull: Describe a pull from the entrance, moving outwards, inwards, and then pulling backwards.
Kicking: The leg kick is secondary to the pull, primarily for balance and rotation. It should be natural, not forced, and originate from the hips. Focus on faster feet movement during the pull, keeping your ankles flexible and your feet like fins, bringing your big toes together.
Breathing: Breathe once per cycle, inhaling on one pull and exhaling on the next.
Breaststroke Technique
Body Position: Varies slightly, but primarily in-line with the spine and hydrodynamic during the sliding phase (kick-slide-stroke).
Arm Movement:
- Forearm and Hand Pull: Use a curved movement, pushing the water backwards in a short, curved triangle. Begin with your arms extended and end before your elbows cross the shoulder line.
- Forearm and Hand Recovery: Lead with your hands forward at or under the surface of the water, reaching forward but avoiding diving.
- Forearm and Hand Entry: Fully extend your arms, touching your hands together at the thumb. Maintain this position during the slide phase.
Hips: Drive your hips forward and under your trunk using your pull and back muscles. They then become an anchor point as your upper body launches forward with no pause as the kick is initiated. Keep your hips relatively high, acting as a moving-forward pivot point.
Kicking: Extend your legs, flex, and then fully extend, pulling and opening your legs. Use a fast motion of your ankles both up towards your hips and through the kick action. Conclude the kick with your legs in full extension, using the soles of your feet to pull the water together.
Breathing: Breathe once per cycle. As your hands and elbows sweep in, your trunk rises. Take a breath from when your mouth clears the water until your trunk begins to lower.