What does elementary back mean to you?

The elementary back (also known informally as the Chicken-Star-Rocket). This simple swim
stroke is often taught first to beginner swimmers in combining with lessons in how to tread water that
allows a beginner swimmer to learn the backward glide motion through the water without
incorporating the complication of breathing. It is swum on the back which makes breathing
straightforward as the face is turned upwards and held above the water surface. Furthermore,
compared to regular backstroke, projections of water into the face are prevented, as the arms remain
underwater.

Module 4 – Basic Swimming Skills and Crawl Stroke

THE FRONT CRAWL STROKE

Crawl stroke is also known as the front crawl stroke, Australian crawl or common people called
it as freestyle. The term freestyle as reference to crawl stroke is widely accepted but for those who
are technically knowledgeable in swimming, this term only refers to or uses to name a swimming
event in which crawl stroke is use because it is the fastest swimming skills. Therefore, technically
speaking freestyle is an event not a stroke but because crawl stroke is widely use in this event and is
commonly witnessed by spectators, people are used of calling it freestyle. One thing we should
remember always about freestyle, this is an event in which swimmers are allowed to use any
swimming stroke he/she is comfortable with and can do it the fastest way. So don’t be confused of
the term crawl stroke and freestyle.

The front crawl stroke has been used by man even during the early times of Egyptian
civilization. In 1873, a British swimmer John Arthur Trudgen introduced a hybrid type of crawl stroke
in which he used scissors kick for leg propulsion. Eventually this technique became popular and was
named the “Trudgen Crawl Stroke”.

As swimmers around the world continued their quest to developed a better technique to
improve speed, a famous Australian champion swimmer Richmond “Dick “ Cavill” together with his
brother “Tums” and later inspired by a Solomon Island swimmer “Alick Wickham” introduced an
innovation on the stroke which later popularized as the “Australian Crawl” as credit to them.

ANATOMY OF THE STROKE

Like other swimming strokes, crawl stroke is composed of four phases namely: catch, pull
through, release and recovery. The pull through phase is divided into three sub phases which started
on a down sweep, in sweep and up sweep which constitute the push through of the hands against the
water.

Body Movement

Front crawl stroke is swum on a prone horizontal streamline position. Correct streamlining must
be keep in order for the body to reduce its drag against the water. As the stroke cycle continues, the
body moves from side to side doing a roll to allow the arms to be recovered in a right angle and
position as well as give an appropriate position for the head to roll sideways to allow the mouth to
surface and take oxygen.
 The head is kept on a face down position except during breathing in which the swimmer should
roll his shoulder further to allow elevation of the mouth out of the water.

Arm Movement

The arm movement in crawl stroke is done alternately. When the other arm is on a catch the other
must be on a release going to recovery. The arm action is comprised of entry, down sweep, in sweep,
sweep, release and recovery.

Starting Position – the arm is on an extended position underwater after the entry. Arms extension
should not be done above the water.

Catch – Index finger breaks the water first keeping the elbow high and forearm on a vertical position.
The entry must be done on the midline of the body in line with the shoulder and palm facing down.

Down Sweep – in this phase of arm action, the upper arm moves outward at around 45-50 degrees
and then downward with little exertion of power thus keeping the elbow high on the water.

In Sweep – start to pull your hands from outside the shoulder going backward down to your belly
moving the upper arm backward and inward.

Up Sweep – the hands changes its direction from down the belly going to the side and backward to
the hips. As the hand reaches the hips the body starts to roll to the side to allow the hands to prepare
for a release.

Release – the arm starts to break the water surface with elbow high first in line with the hips followed
by the forearm and the scooping hand emerge last out of the water.

Recovery – the elbow is keep high above the water and the arms are swung to forward position
keeping it relaxed all throughout the recovery. Hands down dangling with the finger tips pointed
towards the water.

Entry – as the hands passes the head, bring it down on the midline of the body with finger tips first
followed by the wrist and upper arm and extend fully underwater. The head simultaneously rolls
down at the moment of water entry.

Leg Movement

The legs perform continues flutter kicking action. These flutter kicks are small and fast leg movements
with a slight bending of the knees and the leg action originates from the hips. Flutter kicks are done
alternately with opposite movements. As the other leg performs the upbeat the other leg goes down
to the water. See to it that the motion of the legs is alternate up and down and not doing bicycling.

Breathing

Breathing is done by turning your head to the side during the arms recovery above the water.
Body roll must be done further especially on the upper body and shoulder to allow an appropriate
position for the mouth and nose to be elevated above the water. Inhale quickly with the mouth and
roll down underwater and exhale as your hand and arm makes an entry back in the water. Breathing
must be done always on the same side of the recovering arm and not opposite. It can be done after
alternate arm cycle or more than that if you have already developed your endurance.
Common Errors in Front Crawl Stroke

Putting on the Brakes

This is a common mistake especially by novice swimmers in front crawl stroke. Instead of reaching
over barrel underwater, novice usually pushes the water forward underwater thus creating a drag on
the water.

Overreaching Arm Recovery

Overreaching arm recovery results to wrong entry. When a swimmer extends his arm above
the water his next tendency is to land his arm and palm simultaneously at the entry which is not good
to start the next cycle of the stroke. The moment that the swimmer places his arms and hands above
the water during the entry this will usually result into shallow catch with less power.

Wide Arm Recovery

Swinging the arms too wide at the side during recovery will wastes additional energy and
probably can create drag on your body as well as might result into a strained shoulder. Do the arms
recovery in a natural manner as how your arms and hands are supposed to be positioned above the
water as it is lifted.

Module 5 – Breast Stroke Mechanics and Drill

THE BREAST STROKE

Breast stroke is considered as the slowest among the four strokes used in competitive
swimming. However, in terms of survival, breast stroke can be the most reliable stroke because an
individual can relax better since that in every cycle of the stroke a swimmer has always the
opportunity to breath. More so, the sculling motion of the arms can give a swimmer an opportunity to
keep his head on the surface if he wishes to. This stroke is also appropriate to be used to engage with
direct water approach to an active drowning victim. When a swimmer sculls and keep his head on the
surface, he can have a clearer view to the victim as he approaches so as to avoid going closer and be
caught by the victim.

This swimming skill can be traced back since the stone ages as evidenced by cave drawings in
Cave Swimmers in Wadi Sora in southwestern Egypt near Libya.

In 1538 Nicolas Wynman, a German professor of languages and poetry, wrote the first
swimming book, Colymbetes. This book contained a good, methodical approach to learning
breaststroke. Captain Matthew Webb in 1875 made a history by swimming the English channel using
breast stroke with a distance of 21.26 miles (34.21 km) in 21 hours and 45 minutes .

A separate event for breast stroke was included in Berlin summer Olympics in 1904. From this
time on, swimming had been developed by different enthusiasts with the technique being improved
thus enhancing the speed of swimmers as years unfold until today.
ANATOMY OF THE STROKE

Body Movement

Breast stroke body movement changes continuously. During the glide the body is on a
horizontal streamline position and it quickly changes to obliquely upward as the head is raised during
the course of the arm pull. On the completion of the arm pull with the head above the water, the face
and eyes vision must be inclined downward not toward the opposite end of the pool. The head and
shoulders make an undulating motion as the legs kick and the body returns to a glide. This undulating
motion helps the body to accelerate the glide to cover a farther distance.

Arm Movement

The arm pull in breaststroke is performed in a synchronized semicircular motion or as if you are
drawing an orange and cut it into halves under your chest.

It is started in an extended position horizontally after a glide is made and after which the hands
are sculled outward at about 45-50 degrees and pulled back downward towards under the chest. As
both arms move closer with the chest the body is raised to an inclined position at about 45 degrees
and the hands meet under the chest at the completion of the arm pull. Both arms then are push back
forcefully forward to horizontal position simultaneous with shoulder and head undulation to execute
an effective glide. The next cycle of arm again begins following the same pattern.

Leg Movement — Breaststroke Kick

The leg action in breast stroke is termed as “frog kick” which literally imitates a frog kicking
style in the water. Frog kick starts with both legs extended horizontally together while arm pull is
performed. As the arm pull is about halfway towards under the chest for completion, both legs starts
to bend and move towards the buttocks. As the arm pull is completed under the chest and the arms
begin to recover forward, the legs and feet moves closer to the buttocks until it is close with each
other. As the arms are pushed forward for the recovery, the knees move apart outward with the feet
flexed at the ankle facing outward. The legs and feet are then pushing outward, downward and
backward to a horizontal position to complete the cycle of the frog kick.

Breathing

What makes breast stroke as a comfortable swimming skill for survival is the fact that it offers a
swimmer a chance to breathe in every cycle of the stroke.

Inhalation of the air with the use of the mouth is done as soon as the head comes out of the
water and exhalation follows underneath as the arms perform the recovery and the body begins to
glide. This process is repeated in every cycle of the breast stroke.