Swimming
Steps to Success
by Scott Bay
Foreword by Rowdy Gaines
Series: STS (Steps to Success Activity
240 Pages
Be confident in the pool or open water with Swimming: Steps to Success. This proven program will help you master these techniques:
• Freestyle
• Backstroke
• Breaststroke
• Butterfly
• Starts and Turns
• Open Water
• Survival Swimming
Step-by-step instruction and color photos show basic arm and leg movements along with proper body position for each skill. Drills reinforce the instruction and help you practice each stroke. There’s even a scoring system for gauging success and determining readiness to advance to new skills.
Whether you’re instructing, learning to swim, or looking to improve your aquatic skills, Swimming: Steps to Success will let you develop at your own pace. Part of the highly successful Steps to Success Sport Series with more than 2.5 million copies sold, it’s your guide to in-water excellence.
Step 1 Floating
Step 2 Manipulating the Water
Step 3 Freestyle
Step 4 Backstroke
Step 5 Breaststroke
Step 6 Butterfly
Step 7 Turns
Step 8 Starts
Step 9 Open Water and Survival Swimming
Step 10 Continuing with Swimming
Scott Bay is an American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) level 5 certified coach who has been actively coaching and teaching swimming at various levels since 1986. His high school swimmers have qualified for state meets and placed in the top 10 on many occasions. At the masters level he currently coaches national champions, all-Americans, and world-record holders who have swum more than 300 top 10 U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) swims and achieved more than 30 world records in just the past five years.
Throughout a career that includes coaching age-groupers, senior swimmers, and triathletes, Bay has taught thousands how to swim or how to swim better. He has written numerous articles on technique and coaching in addition to being a major contributor to the revised USMS and ASCA certification curriculum. He is a frequent presenter at clinics across the United States and has presented at the prestigious ASCA World Clinic for several years.
Coach Bay is the chair of the USMS Coaches Committee, head coach of YCF Masters, and is a high-school level swimming coach.
Sculling ' Developing a feel for the water
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid.
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid. Though some people advocate holding the hand like a paddle or spoon, a rigid hand position provides no meaningful hydrodynamic advantage for most swimmers. The hand should be slightly curved like the blade of a propeller on a plane or boat. The curvature provides great ability to produce higher and lower areas of pressure similar to that also of an airplane wing.
Stand in the water with your back to the pool wall. Extend your arms straight out in front of you and sink to the point where your shoulders are just below the surface and your arms are completely covered with water. With your hands in a natural, relaxed position and slightly cupped, rotate your thumbs down so that your palms are angled slightly rather than parallel to the pool bottom.
Next, sweep your hands outward, making sure to keep your elbows straight. You should feel pressure from the water on your hands and forearms. Once your hands are about 2 feet (0.6 m) apart, rotate your thumbs up and your little fingers down so that, once again, your palms are slightly angled - only this time toward each other rather than away - and move your arms back to the original position. Again, keep your elbows straight.
Repeat this motion several times and adjust the pitch of your palms to get a good feel for the water. As you progress, angle your fingers down slightly as well. The sculling motion creates higher pressure on the palm side of your hand and lower pressure on the back of your hand, thus providing propulsive force.
Figure 2.3 Sculling
Preparation
- Check the water around you to ensure that you have enough room to perform the skill.
- Make sure that you are in water no deeper than chest level.
- Position yourself with plenty of distance to cover in the same depth of water.
Execution
- Begin by lying on the water facedown.
- Extend the arms in front and over your head.
- With the hands slightly cupped, sweep the hands out and in with fingers pitching down toward the bottom of the pool.
- Keeping the elbows and arms long but not locked, repeat the process until you can feel forward movement.
Misstep
You keep your hands very stiff.
Correction
Relax your hands and feel the water.
Misstep
You don't go anywhere when sculling.
Correction
Make sure that your hands are slightly cupped, which provides the same high-pressure and low-pressure propulsion as propellers and airplane wings. Water will flow faster over the top part of the hand as it has a greater distance to travel, and the inside arc of the hand has a smaller linear distance, so the water remains easier to hold. The faster moving water on the top of the hand is low pressure, and the palm would be higher pressure. To achieve equilibrium, the barrier (i.e., the hand) will move toward the lower pressure.
Drill for Sculling
Use the following drill to help practice the sculling skill.
Sculling Drill: Sculling With a Pull Buoy
Next, put this skill to work in a swimming position. Place a pull buoy between your legs slightly above your knees. Lie flat and facedown on the water in a neutral position, as described in step 1, with your arms extended above your head. Keep your hands relaxed, with your fingers pitched slightly downward, and slowly try the sculling motion until you feel yourself being pulled forward.
This is a complex skill that takes time to master. It requires movements that are not fast, rigid, or mechanical but slow, controlled, and fluid. Use slow, rhythmic movements and make sure that your hands never stop; they should be sweeping either out or in at any given time. Failure to master this skill does not prevent a person from swimming, but mastering it enables greater proficiency in later stages of the learning process. Repeat the drill several times, experimenting with hand angle and positioning to see what works best for you in creating propulsion. To develop a good catch, you must feel where the water pressure is on your hands and forearms!
To Increase Difficulty
- Do not use a pull buoy.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Bend your elbows slightly.
- Use a swimmer's snorkel.
Success Check
- You can make it down the pool.
- You can move forward with just the sculling motion and your arms straight. The motion is back and forth with the hands slightly cupped.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can swim across half the pool.
- 3 points: You can go farther than half of the pool length with no snorkel.
- 5-7 points: You can make it all the way down the pool length with little difficulty.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Single Stroke Breathing and Continuous Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm.
Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm. The best way to do so is to rotate the face out of the water as an arm is finishing a stroke at the thigh and beginning the recovery. The rotation is initiated at the shoulder and hip, and the head follows.
This technique is less about rotating the neck and more about proper positioning. There is a bow wave with the forward propulsion that allows for a trough to be produced; the depth and utility of that differ from swimmer to swimmer. A bow wave in the world of fluid mechanics is a wave that is produced by the vector displacement of water by another object. The size of the crest and trough produced depends on the mass, velocity, and displacement buoyancy of the object. As the body moves through the water, the crown of the head will cause the water in front of it to increase in pressure as the head moves forward. The water will seek equilibrium from this high pressure state by moving to a lower pressure. Due to the incompressibility of water, the water molecules "choose" a direction to go with some moving down and others moving up or to the side with and infinite number of vector possibilities. The rising part is offset by a falling part producing both a crest and a trough which is below the waterline and will be helpful when trying to rotate the mouth and nose toward the air to breathe.The objective here is to get your air as quickly as possible so that you can get your face back in the water before your hand finishes the recovery, thus readying you for the next catch.
At this point, you should be on your side or back with one arm at your side and the other arm above your head, in front of your shoulder. Practice this sequence several times. Most people prefer one side or the other for rotation, so multiple repeats are helpful to identify which side is preferred. Then move on to continuous breathing (figure 3.5).
Figure 3.4 Single-Stroke Breathing
Preparation
- As you did in working on the basic armstroke, push off of the wall and begin your armstrokes.
Execution
- While stroking with your arms, slowly exhale until you have expelled much of the air from your lungs.
- As you finish your next stroke, rotate your body and face so that your face is out of the water, then breathe in and stop.
Figure 3.5 Continuous Breathing
Preparation
- Follow the steps for single-stroke breathing in figure 3.4.
Execution
- Rotate your face back into the water and continue swimming. Rotate your face out of the water with a special emphasis on rotating the chin out.
- Once you have mastered rotation to the side and gotten a quick breath, rotate your face back in while your hand recovers, then repeat the process.
- Remember that slower movements are better at this point.
Misstep
You swallow water when trying to breathe.
Correction
Are you lifting your head to vertical and looking forward instead of rotating? Doing so brings your mouth and nose closer to the surface of the water; instead, think about rotating your chin out while leaving one eye in the water.
Misstep
Your hips sink when you go to breathe.
Correction
Make sure that you are looking to the side of the pool rather than lifting your head to look forward.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Track Start
Set: 1. Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge. 2. Place your other foot at the back of the block. 3. Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
Figure 8.4 Track Start
Set
- Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge.
- Place your other foot at the back of the block.
- Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
- Grab the front edge of the block with both hands.
- Very important: Keep your neck loose and look down or only slightly forward. Keep your center of gravity comfortably over the center of the block, between your forward foot and your back foot.
Push
- At the start command, initiate the start by pulling forward with your hands while simultaneously driving forward with your upper body.
- Lift your head slightly to spot the water and the point at which you hope to enter.
- At the same time, bring your hands forward toward the streamlined position.
- Then tuck your chin to your chest in the streamlined position.
Entry
- As your hands enter the water, begin to straighten your body so that it goes into the same hole in the water that your hands entered.
- As your body passes through the surface of the water, arch your back slightly to control the depth of the dive.
Streamline
- Push your chin forward slightly to adjust the depth and bring you to the surface for swimming as you streamline and perform the appropriate kick for the chosen stroke.
Misstep
You look up, lose your balance, and fall in.
Correction
Keep your neck loose; looking at the end of the pool constricts blood vessels in the neck.
Misstep
You rock back too far and sit on your back leg.
Correction
Having the hips slightly forward or back is common and often merely a matter of preference. However, a knee bend of more than 90 degrees does not allow for a good push. Move your hips forward.
Misstep
Your front leg is straight and locked out.
Correction
Make sure that you bend your knee so that you have some way of pushing off of the block with your lead leg rather than just your foot.
Drills for the Track Start
The next few drills focus on connecting all of the skills of the set, push, entry, and breakout streamline into one integrated skill.
Track Start Drill 1: 15-Meter
Though not really a drill, this exercise enables you to determine which start is best for you. Try the grab start and record your time at 15 yards. Do the same for the track start with each leg serving as the forward leg. Do this sequence several times to determine which type of start is best for you.
In competition pools, the 15-yard mark is signified by an off-color (e.g., red or yellow) disk as part of the lane line. If the pool does not have such a mark, you can use any measured distance beyond 10 yards.
Track Start Drill 2: Standing Jump
This drill isolates the push portion of the start. From the take-your-mark position, push forward as forcefully as possible to get as much forward velocity as you can. Then pull your feet up to enter the water feetfirst. Practice this drill several times to see how far down the pool you can get.
To Increase Difficulty
- Place a marker (e.g., a diving brick) on the bottom of the pool as a target and try to hit the spot in the water directly above it.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Start from the deck and just do the drill as a standing broad jump.
- Start from the deck in the set position.
Success Check
- You can hold yourself steady in the set position.
- You can enter the water at least 4 feet (1.2 m) away from the block.
- You can hit a target in the water after spotting it.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can do the drill from the deck and get at least a yard from the wall.
- 3 points: You can do the drill and get at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
- 5 points: You can do the drill and hit a designated target at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Sculling ' Developing a feel for the water
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid.
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid. Though some people advocate holding the hand like a paddle or spoon, a rigid hand position provides no meaningful hydrodynamic advantage for most swimmers. The hand should be slightly curved like the blade of a propeller on a plane or boat. The curvature provides great ability to produce higher and lower areas of pressure similar to that also of an airplane wing.
Stand in the water with your back to the pool wall. Extend your arms straight out in front of you and sink to the point where your shoulders are just below the surface and your arms are completely covered with water. With your hands in a natural, relaxed position and slightly cupped, rotate your thumbs down so that your palms are angled slightly rather than parallel to the pool bottom.
Next, sweep your hands outward, making sure to keep your elbows straight. You should feel pressure from the water on your hands and forearms. Once your hands are about 2 feet (0.6 m) apart, rotate your thumbs up and your little fingers down so that, once again, your palms are slightly angled - only this time toward each other rather than away - and move your arms back to the original position. Again, keep your elbows straight.
Repeat this motion several times and adjust the pitch of your palms to get a good feel for the water. As you progress, angle your fingers down slightly as well. The sculling motion creates higher pressure on the palm side of your hand and lower pressure on the back of your hand, thus providing propulsive force.
Figure 2.3 Sculling
Preparation
- Check the water around you to ensure that you have enough room to perform the skill.
- Make sure that you are in water no deeper than chest level.
- Position yourself with plenty of distance to cover in the same depth of water.
Execution
- Begin by lying on the water facedown.
- Extend the arms in front and over your head.
- With the hands slightly cupped, sweep the hands out and in with fingers pitching down toward the bottom of the pool.
- Keeping the elbows and arms long but not locked, repeat the process until you can feel forward movement.
Misstep
You keep your hands very stiff.
Correction
Relax your hands and feel the water.
Misstep
You don't go anywhere when sculling.
Correction
Make sure that your hands are slightly cupped, which provides the same high-pressure and low-pressure propulsion as propellers and airplane wings. Water will flow faster over the top part of the hand as it has a greater distance to travel, and the inside arc of the hand has a smaller linear distance, so the water remains easier to hold. The faster moving water on the top of the hand is low pressure, and the palm would be higher pressure. To achieve equilibrium, the barrier (i.e., the hand) will move toward the lower pressure.
Drill for Sculling
Use the following drill to help practice the sculling skill.
Sculling Drill: Sculling With a Pull Buoy
Next, put this skill to work in a swimming position. Place a pull buoy between your legs slightly above your knees. Lie flat and facedown on the water in a neutral position, as described in step 1, with your arms extended above your head. Keep your hands relaxed, with your fingers pitched slightly downward, and slowly try the sculling motion until you feel yourself being pulled forward.
This is a complex skill that takes time to master. It requires movements that are not fast, rigid, or mechanical but slow, controlled, and fluid. Use slow, rhythmic movements and make sure that your hands never stop; they should be sweeping either out or in at any given time. Failure to master this skill does not prevent a person from swimming, but mastering it enables greater proficiency in later stages of the learning process. Repeat the drill several times, experimenting with hand angle and positioning to see what works best for you in creating propulsion. To develop a good catch, you must feel where the water pressure is on your hands and forearms!
To Increase Difficulty
- Do not use a pull buoy.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Bend your elbows slightly.
- Use a swimmer's snorkel.
Success Check
- You can make it down the pool.
- You can move forward with just the sculling motion and your arms straight. The motion is back and forth with the hands slightly cupped.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can swim across half the pool.
- 3 points: You can go farther than half of the pool length with no snorkel.
- 5-7 points: You can make it all the way down the pool length with little difficulty.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Single Stroke Breathing and Continuous Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm.
Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm. The best way to do so is to rotate the face out of the water as an arm is finishing a stroke at the thigh and beginning the recovery. The rotation is initiated at the shoulder and hip, and the head follows.
This technique is less about rotating the neck and more about proper positioning. There is a bow wave with the forward propulsion that allows for a trough to be produced; the depth and utility of that differ from swimmer to swimmer. A bow wave in the world of fluid mechanics is a wave that is produced by the vector displacement of water by another object. The size of the crest and trough produced depends on the mass, velocity, and displacement buoyancy of the object. As the body moves through the water, the crown of the head will cause the water in front of it to increase in pressure as the head moves forward. The water will seek equilibrium from this high pressure state by moving to a lower pressure. Due to the incompressibility of water, the water molecules "choose" a direction to go with some moving down and others moving up or to the side with and infinite number of vector possibilities. The rising part is offset by a falling part producing both a crest and a trough which is below the waterline and will be helpful when trying to rotate the mouth and nose toward the air to breathe.The objective here is to get your air as quickly as possible so that you can get your face back in the water before your hand finishes the recovery, thus readying you for the next catch.
At this point, you should be on your side or back with one arm at your side and the other arm above your head, in front of your shoulder. Practice this sequence several times. Most people prefer one side or the other for rotation, so multiple repeats are helpful to identify which side is preferred. Then move on to continuous breathing (figure 3.5).
Figure 3.4 Single-Stroke Breathing
Preparation
- As you did in working on the basic armstroke, push off of the wall and begin your armstrokes.
Execution
- While stroking with your arms, slowly exhale until you have expelled much of the air from your lungs.
- As you finish your next stroke, rotate your body and face so that your face is out of the water, then breathe in and stop.
Figure 3.5 Continuous Breathing
Preparation
- Follow the steps for single-stroke breathing in figure 3.4.
Execution
- Rotate your face back into the water and continue swimming. Rotate your face out of the water with a special emphasis on rotating the chin out.
- Once you have mastered rotation to the side and gotten a quick breath, rotate your face back in while your hand recovers, then repeat the process.
- Remember that slower movements are better at this point.
Misstep
You swallow water when trying to breathe.
Correction
Are you lifting your head to vertical and looking forward instead of rotating? Doing so brings your mouth and nose closer to the surface of the water; instead, think about rotating your chin out while leaving one eye in the water.
Misstep
Your hips sink when you go to breathe.
Correction
Make sure that you are looking to the side of the pool rather than lifting your head to look forward.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Track Start
Set: 1. Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge. 2. Place your other foot at the back of the block. 3. Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
Figure 8.4 Track Start
Set
- Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge.
- Place your other foot at the back of the block.
- Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
- Grab the front edge of the block with both hands.
- Very important: Keep your neck loose and look down or only slightly forward. Keep your center of gravity comfortably over the center of the block, between your forward foot and your back foot.
Push
- At the start command, initiate the start by pulling forward with your hands while simultaneously driving forward with your upper body.
- Lift your head slightly to spot the water and the point at which you hope to enter.
- At the same time, bring your hands forward toward the streamlined position.
- Then tuck your chin to your chest in the streamlined position.
Entry
- As your hands enter the water, begin to straighten your body so that it goes into the same hole in the water that your hands entered.
- As your body passes through the surface of the water, arch your back slightly to control the depth of the dive.
Streamline
- Push your chin forward slightly to adjust the depth and bring you to the surface for swimming as you streamline and perform the appropriate kick for the chosen stroke.
Misstep
You look up, lose your balance, and fall in.
Correction
Keep your neck loose; looking at the end of the pool constricts blood vessels in the neck.
Misstep
You rock back too far and sit on your back leg.
Correction
Having the hips slightly forward or back is common and often merely a matter of preference. However, a knee bend of more than 90 degrees does not allow for a good push. Move your hips forward.
Misstep
Your front leg is straight and locked out.
Correction
Make sure that you bend your knee so that you have some way of pushing off of the block with your lead leg rather than just your foot.
Drills for the Track Start
The next few drills focus on connecting all of the skills of the set, push, entry, and breakout streamline into one integrated skill.
Track Start Drill 1: 15-Meter
Though not really a drill, this exercise enables you to determine which start is best for you. Try the grab start and record your time at 15 yards. Do the same for the track start with each leg serving as the forward leg. Do this sequence several times to determine which type of start is best for you.
In competition pools, the 15-yard mark is signified by an off-color (e.g., red or yellow) disk as part of the lane line. If the pool does not have such a mark, you can use any measured distance beyond 10 yards.
Track Start Drill 2: Standing Jump
This drill isolates the push portion of the start. From the take-your-mark position, push forward as forcefully as possible to get as much forward velocity as you can. Then pull your feet up to enter the water feetfirst. Practice this drill several times to see how far down the pool you can get.
To Increase Difficulty
- Place a marker (e.g., a diving brick) on the bottom of the pool as a target and try to hit the spot in the water directly above it.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Start from the deck and just do the drill as a standing broad jump.
- Start from the deck in the set position.
Success Check
- You can hold yourself steady in the set position.
- You can enter the water at least 4 feet (1.2 m) away from the block.
- You can hit a target in the water after spotting it.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can do the drill from the deck and get at least a yard from the wall.
- 3 points: You can do the drill and get at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
- 5 points: You can do the drill and hit a designated target at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Sculling ' Developing a feel for the water
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid.
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid. Though some people advocate holding the hand like a paddle or spoon, a rigid hand position provides no meaningful hydrodynamic advantage for most swimmers. The hand should be slightly curved like the blade of a propeller on a plane or boat. The curvature provides great ability to produce higher and lower areas of pressure similar to that also of an airplane wing.
Stand in the water with your back to the pool wall. Extend your arms straight out in front of you and sink to the point where your shoulders are just below the surface and your arms are completely covered with water. With your hands in a natural, relaxed position and slightly cupped, rotate your thumbs down so that your palms are angled slightly rather than parallel to the pool bottom.
Next, sweep your hands outward, making sure to keep your elbows straight. You should feel pressure from the water on your hands and forearms. Once your hands are about 2 feet (0.6 m) apart, rotate your thumbs up and your little fingers down so that, once again, your palms are slightly angled - only this time toward each other rather than away - and move your arms back to the original position. Again, keep your elbows straight.
Repeat this motion several times and adjust the pitch of your palms to get a good feel for the water. As you progress, angle your fingers down slightly as well. The sculling motion creates higher pressure on the palm side of your hand and lower pressure on the back of your hand, thus providing propulsive force.
Figure 2.3 Sculling
Preparation
- Check the water around you to ensure that you have enough room to perform the skill.
- Make sure that you are in water no deeper than chest level.
- Position yourself with plenty of distance to cover in the same depth of water.
Execution
- Begin by lying on the water facedown.
- Extend the arms in front and over your head.
- With the hands slightly cupped, sweep the hands out and in with fingers pitching down toward the bottom of the pool.
- Keeping the elbows and arms long but not locked, repeat the process until you can feel forward movement.
Misstep
You keep your hands very stiff.
Correction
Relax your hands and feel the water.
Misstep
You don't go anywhere when sculling.
Correction
Make sure that your hands are slightly cupped, which provides the same high-pressure and low-pressure propulsion as propellers and airplane wings. Water will flow faster over the top part of the hand as it has a greater distance to travel, and the inside arc of the hand has a smaller linear distance, so the water remains easier to hold. The faster moving water on the top of the hand is low pressure, and the palm would be higher pressure. To achieve equilibrium, the barrier (i.e., the hand) will move toward the lower pressure.
Drill for Sculling
Use the following drill to help practice the sculling skill.
Sculling Drill: Sculling With a Pull Buoy
Next, put this skill to work in a swimming position. Place a pull buoy between your legs slightly above your knees. Lie flat and facedown on the water in a neutral position, as described in step 1, with your arms extended above your head. Keep your hands relaxed, with your fingers pitched slightly downward, and slowly try the sculling motion until you feel yourself being pulled forward.
This is a complex skill that takes time to master. It requires movements that are not fast, rigid, or mechanical but slow, controlled, and fluid. Use slow, rhythmic movements and make sure that your hands never stop; they should be sweeping either out or in at any given time. Failure to master this skill does not prevent a person from swimming, but mastering it enables greater proficiency in later stages of the learning process. Repeat the drill several times, experimenting with hand angle and positioning to see what works best for you in creating propulsion. To develop a good catch, you must feel where the water pressure is on your hands and forearms!
To Increase Difficulty
- Do not use a pull buoy.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Bend your elbows slightly.
- Use a swimmer's snorkel.
Success Check
- You can make it down the pool.
- You can move forward with just the sculling motion and your arms straight. The motion is back and forth with the hands slightly cupped.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can swim across half the pool.
- 3 points: You can go farther than half of the pool length with no snorkel.
- 5-7 points: You can make it all the way down the pool length with little difficulty.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Single Stroke Breathing and Continuous Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm.
Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm. The best way to do so is to rotate the face out of the water as an arm is finishing a stroke at the thigh and beginning the recovery. The rotation is initiated at the shoulder and hip, and the head follows.
This technique is less about rotating the neck and more about proper positioning. There is a bow wave with the forward propulsion that allows for a trough to be produced; the depth and utility of that differ from swimmer to swimmer. A bow wave in the world of fluid mechanics is a wave that is produced by the vector displacement of water by another object. The size of the crest and trough produced depends on the mass, velocity, and displacement buoyancy of the object. As the body moves through the water, the crown of the head will cause the water in front of it to increase in pressure as the head moves forward. The water will seek equilibrium from this high pressure state by moving to a lower pressure. Due to the incompressibility of water, the water molecules "choose" a direction to go with some moving down and others moving up or to the side with and infinite number of vector possibilities. The rising part is offset by a falling part producing both a crest and a trough which is below the waterline and will be helpful when trying to rotate the mouth and nose toward the air to breathe.The objective here is to get your air as quickly as possible so that you can get your face back in the water before your hand finishes the recovery, thus readying you for the next catch.
At this point, you should be on your side or back with one arm at your side and the other arm above your head, in front of your shoulder. Practice this sequence several times. Most people prefer one side or the other for rotation, so multiple repeats are helpful to identify which side is preferred. Then move on to continuous breathing (figure 3.5).
Figure 3.4 Single-Stroke Breathing
Preparation
- As you did in working on the basic armstroke, push off of the wall and begin your armstrokes.
Execution
- While stroking with your arms, slowly exhale until you have expelled much of the air from your lungs.
- As you finish your next stroke, rotate your body and face so that your face is out of the water, then breathe in and stop.
Figure 3.5 Continuous Breathing
Preparation
- Follow the steps for single-stroke breathing in figure 3.4.
Execution
- Rotate your face back into the water and continue swimming. Rotate your face out of the water with a special emphasis on rotating the chin out.
- Once you have mastered rotation to the side and gotten a quick breath, rotate your face back in while your hand recovers, then repeat the process.
- Remember that slower movements are better at this point.
Misstep
You swallow water when trying to breathe.
Correction
Are you lifting your head to vertical and looking forward instead of rotating? Doing so brings your mouth and nose closer to the surface of the water; instead, think about rotating your chin out while leaving one eye in the water.
Misstep
Your hips sink when you go to breathe.
Correction
Make sure that you are looking to the side of the pool rather than lifting your head to look forward.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Track Start
Set: 1. Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge. 2. Place your other foot at the back of the block. 3. Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
Figure 8.4 Track Start
Set
- Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge.
- Place your other foot at the back of the block.
- Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
- Grab the front edge of the block with both hands.
- Very important: Keep your neck loose and look down or only slightly forward. Keep your center of gravity comfortably over the center of the block, between your forward foot and your back foot.
Push
- At the start command, initiate the start by pulling forward with your hands while simultaneously driving forward with your upper body.
- Lift your head slightly to spot the water and the point at which you hope to enter.
- At the same time, bring your hands forward toward the streamlined position.
- Then tuck your chin to your chest in the streamlined position.
Entry
- As your hands enter the water, begin to straighten your body so that it goes into the same hole in the water that your hands entered.
- As your body passes through the surface of the water, arch your back slightly to control the depth of the dive.
Streamline
- Push your chin forward slightly to adjust the depth and bring you to the surface for swimming as you streamline and perform the appropriate kick for the chosen stroke.
Misstep
You look up, lose your balance, and fall in.
Correction
Keep your neck loose; looking at the end of the pool constricts blood vessels in the neck.
Misstep
You rock back too far and sit on your back leg.
Correction
Having the hips slightly forward or back is common and often merely a matter of preference. However, a knee bend of more than 90 degrees does not allow for a good push. Move your hips forward.
Misstep
Your front leg is straight and locked out.
Correction
Make sure that you bend your knee so that you have some way of pushing off of the block with your lead leg rather than just your foot.
Drills for the Track Start
The next few drills focus on connecting all of the skills of the set, push, entry, and breakout streamline into one integrated skill.
Track Start Drill 1: 15-Meter
Though not really a drill, this exercise enables you to determine which start is best for you. Try the grab start and record your time at 15 yards. Do the same for the track start with each leg serving as the forward leg. Do this sequence several times to determine which type of start is best for you.
In competition pools, the 15-yard mark is signified by an off-color (e.g., red or yellow) disk as part of the lane line. If the pool does not have such a mark, you can use any measured distance beyond 10 yards.
Track Start Drill 2: Standing Jump
This drill isolates the push portion of the start. From the take-your-mark position, push forward as forcefully as possible to get as much forward velocity as you can. Then pull your feet up to enter the water feetfirst. Practice this drill several times to see how far down the pool you can get.
To Increase Difficulty
- Place a marker (e.g., a diving brick) on the bottom of the pool as a target and try to hit the spot in the water directly above it.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Start from the deck and just do the drill as a standing broad jump.
- Start from the deck in the set position.
Success Check
- You can hold yourself steady in the set position.
- You can enter the water at least 4 feet (1.2 m) away from the block.
- You can hit a target in the water after spotting it.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can do the drill from the deck and get at least a yard from the wall.
- 3 points: You can do the drill and get at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
- 5 points: You can do the drill and hit a designated target at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Sculling ' Developing a feel for the water
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid.
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid. Though some people advocate holding the hand like a paddle or spoon, a rigid hand position provides no meaningful hydrodynamic advantage for most swimmers. The hand should be slightly curved like the blade of a propeller on a plane or boat. The curvature provides great ability to produce higher and lower areas of pressure similar to that also of an airplane wing.
Stand in the water with your back to the pool wall. Extend your arms straight out in front of you and sink to the point where your shoulders are just below the surface and your arms are completely covered with water. With your hands in a natural, relaxed position and slightly cupped, rotate your thumbs down so that your palms are angled slightly rather than parallel to the pool bottom.
Next, sweep your hands outward, making sure to keep your elbows straight. You should feel pressure from the water on your hands and forearms. Once your hands are about 2 feet (0.6 m) apart, rotate your thumbs up and your little fingers down so that, once again, your palms are slightly angled - only this time toward each other rather than away - and move your arms back to the original position. Again, keep your elbows straight.
Repeat this motion several times and adjust the pitch of your palms to get a good feel for the water. As you progress, angle your fingers down slightly as well. The sculling motion creates higher pressure on the palm side of your hand and lower pressure on the back of your hand, thus providing propulsive force.
Figure 2.3 Sculling
Preparation
- Check the water around you to ensure that you have enough room to perform the skill.
- Make sure that you are in water no deeper than chest level.
- Position yourself with plenty of distance to cover in the same depth of water.
Execution
- Begin by lying on the water facedown.
- Extend the arms in front and over your head.
- With the hands slightly cupped, sweep the hands out and in with fingers pitching down toward the bottom of the pool.
- Keeping the elbows and arms long but not locked, repeat the process until you can feel forward movement.
Misstep
You keep your hands very stiff.
Correction
Relax your hands and feel the water.
Misstep
You don't go anywhere when sculling.
Correction
Make sure that your hands are slightly cupped, which provides the same high-pressure and low-pressure propulsion as propellers and airplane wings. Water will flow faster over the top part of the hand as it has a greater distance to travel, and the inside arc of the hand has a smaller linear distance, so the water remains easier to hold. The faster moving water on the top of the hand is low pressure, and the palm would be higher pressure. To achieve equilibrium, the barrier (i.e., the hand) will move toward the lower pressure.
Drill for Sculling
Use the following drill to help practice the sculling skill.
Sculling Drill: Sculling With a Pull Buoy
Next, put this skill to work in a swimming position. Place a pull buoy between your legs slightly above your knees. Lie flat and facedown on the water in a neutral position, as described in step 1, with your arms extended above your head. Keep your hands relaxed, with your fingers pitched slightly downward, and slowly try the sculling motion until you feel yourself being pulled forward.
This is a complex skill that takes time to master. It requires movements that are not fast, rigid, or mechanical but slow, controlled, and fluid. Use slow, rhythmic movements and make sure that your hands never stop; they should be sweeping either out or in at any given time. Failure to master this skill does not prevent a person from swimming, but mastering it enables greater proficiency in later stages of the learning process. Repeat the drill several times, experimenting with hand angle and positioning to see what works best for you in creating propulsion. To develop a good catch, you must feel where the water pressure is on your hands and forearms!
To Increase Difficulty
- Do not use a pull buoy.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Bend your elbows slightly.
- Use a swimmer's snorkel.
Success Check
- You can make it down the pool.
- You can move forward with just the sculling motion and your arms straight. The motion is back and forth with the hands slightly cupped.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can swim across half the pool.
- 3 points: You can go farther than half of the pool length with no snorkel.
- 5-7 points: You can make it all the way down the pool length with little difficulty.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Single Stroke Breathing and Continuous Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm.
Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm. The best way to do so is to rotate the face out of the water as an arm is finishing a stroke at the thigh and beginning the recovery. The rotation is initiated at the shoulder and hip, and the head follows.
This technique is less about rotating the neck and more about proper positioning. There is a bow wave with the forward propulsion that allows for a trough to be produced; the depth and utility of that differ from swimmer to swimmer. A bow wave in the world of fluid mechanics is a wave that is produced by the vector displacement of water by another object. The size of the crest and trough produced depends on the mass, velocity, and displacement buoyancy of the object. As the body moves through the water, the crown of the head will cause the water in front of it to increase in pressure as the head moves forward. The water will seek equilibrium from this high pressure state by moving to a lower pressure. Due to the incompressibility of water, the water molecules "choose" a direction to go with some moving down and others moving up or to the side with and infinite number of vector possibilities. The rising part is offset by a falling part producing both a crest and a trough which is below the waterline and will be helpful when trying to rotate the mouth and nose toward the air to breathe.The objective here is to get your air as quickly as possible so that you can get your face back in the water before your hand finishes the recovery, thus readying you for the next catch.
At this point, you should be on your side or back with one arm at your side and the other arm above your head, in front of your shoulder. Practice this sequence several times. Most people prefer one side or the other for rotation, so multiple repeats are helpful to identify which side is preferred. Then move on to continuous breathing (figure 3.5).
Figure 3.4 Single-Stroke Breathing
Preparation
- As you did in working on the basic armstroke, push off of the wall and begin your armstrokes.
Execution
- While stroking with your arms, slowly exhale until you have expelled much of the air from your lungs.
- As you finish your next stroke, rotate your body and face so that your face is out of the water, then breathe in and stop.
Figure 3.5 Continuous Breathing
Preparation
- Follow the steps for single-stroke breathing in figure 3.4.
Execution
- Rotate your face back into the water and continue swimming. Rotate your face out of the water with a special emphasis on rotating the chin out.
- Once you have mastered rotation to the side and gotten a quick breath, rotate your face back in while your hand recovers, then repeat the process.
- Remember that slower movements are better at this point.
Misstep
You swallow water when trying to breathe.
Correction
Are you lifting your head to vertical and looking forward instead of rotating? Doing so brings your mouth and nose closer to the surface of the water; instead, think about rotating your chin out while leaving one eye in the water.
Misstep
Your hips sink when you go to breathe.
Correction
Make sure that you are looking to the side of the pool rather than lifting your head to look forward.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Track Start
Set: 1. Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge. 2. Place your other foot at the back of the block. 3. Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
Figure 8.4 Track Start
Set
- Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge.
- Place your other foot at the back of the block.
- Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
- Grab the front edge of the block with both hands.
- Very important: Keep your neck loose and look down or only slightly forward. Keep your center of gravity comfortably over the center of the block, between your forward foot and your back foot.
Push
- At the start command, initiate the start by pulling forward with your hands while simultaneously driving forward with your upper body.
- Lift your head slightly to spot the water and the point at which you hope to enter.
- At the same time, bring your hands forward toward the streamlined position.
- Then tuck your chin to your chest in the streamlined position.
Entry
- As your hands enter the water, begin to straighten your body so that it goes into the same hole in the water that your hands entered.
- As your body passes through the surface of the water, arch your back slightly to control the depth of the dive.
Streamline
- Push your chin forward slightly to adjust the depth and bring you to the surface for swimming as you streamline and perform the appropriate kick for the chosen stroke.
Misstep
You look up, lose your balance, and fall in.
Correction
Keep your neck loose; looking at the end of the pool constricts blood vessels in the neck.
Misstep
You rock back too far and sit on your back leg.
Correction
Having the hips slightly forward or back is common and often merely a matter of preference. However, a knee bend of more than 90 degrees does not allow for a good push. Move your hips forward.
Misstep
Your front leg is straight and locked out.
Correction
Make sure that you bend your knee so that you have some way of pushing off of the block with your lead leg rather than just your foot.
Drills for the Track Start
The next few drills focus on connecting all of the skills of the set, push, entry, and breakout streamline into one integrated skill.
Track Start Drill 1: 15-Meter
Though not really a drill, this exercise enables you to determine which start is best for you. Try the grab start and record your time at 15 yards. Do the same for the track start with each leg serving as the forward leg. Do this sequence several times to determine which type of start is best for you.
In competition pools, the 15-yard mark is signified by an off-color (e.g., red or yellow) disk as part of the lane line. If the pool does not have such a mark, you can use any measured distance beyond 10 yards.
Track Start Drill 2: Standing Jump
This drill isolates the push portion of the start. From the take-your-mark position, push forward as forcefully as possible to get as much forward velocity as you can. Then pull your feet up to enter the water feetfirst. Practice this drill several times to see how far down the pool you can get.
To Increase Difficulty
- Place a marker (e.g., a diving brick) on the bottom of the pool as a target and try to hit the spot in the water directly above it.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Start from the deck and just do the drill as a standing broad jump.
- Start from the deck in the set position.
Success Check
- You can hold yourself steady in the set position.
- You can enter the water at least 4 feet (1.2 m) away from the block.
- You can hit a target in the water after spotting it.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can do the drill from the deck and get at least a yard from the wall.
- 3 points: You can do the drill and get at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
- 5 points: You can do the drill and hit a designated target at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Sculling ' Developing a feel for the water
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid.
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid. Though some people advocate holding the hand like a paddle or spoon, a rigid hand position provides no meaningful hydrodynamic advantage for most swimmers. The hand should be slightly curved like the blade of a propeller on a plane or boat. The curvature provides great ability to produce higher and lower areas of pressure similar to that also of an airplane wing.
Stand in the water with your back to the pool wall. Extend your arms straight out in front of you and sink to the point where your shoulders are just below the surface and your arms are completely covered with water. With your hands in a natural, relaxed position and slightly cupped, rotate your thumbs down so that your palms are angled slightly rather than parallel to the pool bottom.
Next, sweep your hands outward, making sure to keep your elbows straight. You should feel pressure from the water on your hands and forearms. Once your hands are about 2 feet (0.6 m) apart, rotate your thumbs up and your little fingers down so that, once again, your palms are slightly angled - only this time toward each other rather than away - and move your arms back to the original position. Again, keep your elbows straight.
Repeat this motion several times and adjust the pitch of your palms to get a good feel for the water. As you progress, angle your fingers down slightly as well. The sculling motion creates higher pressure on the palm side of your hand and lower pressure on the back of your hand, thus providing propulsive force.
Figure 2.3 Sculling
Preparation
- Check the water around you to ensure that you have enough room to perform the skill.
- Make sure that you are in water no deeper than chest level.
- Position yourself with plenty of distance to cover in the same depth of water.
Execution
- Begin by lying on the water facedown.
- Extend the arms in front and over your head.
- With the hands slightly cupped, sweep the hands out and in with fingers pitching down toward the bottom of the pool.
- Keeping the elbows and arms long but not locked, repeat the process until you can feel forward movement.
Misstep
You keep your hands very stiff.
Correction
Relax your hands and feel the water.
Misstep
You don't go anywhere when sculling.
Correction
Make sure that your hands are slightly cupped, which provides the same high-pressure and low-pressure propulsion as propellers and airplane wings. Water will flow faster over the top part of the hand as it has a greater distance to travel, and the inside arc of the hand has a smaller linear distance, so the water remains easier to hold. The faster moving water on the top of the hand is low pressure, and the palm would be higher pressure. To achieve equilibrium, the barrier (i.e., the hand) will move toward the lower pressure.
Drill for Sculling
Use the following drill to help practice the sculling skill.
Sculling Drill: Sculling With a Pull Buoy
Next, put this skill to work in a swimming position. Place a pull buoy between your legs slightly above your knees. Lie flat and facedown on the water in a neutral position, as described in step 1, with your arms extended above your head. Keep your hands relaxed, with your fingers pitched slightly downward, and slowly try the sculling motion until you feel yourself being pulled forward.
This is a complex skill that takes time to master. It requires movements that are not fast, rigid, or mechanical but slow, controlled, and fluid. Use slow, rhythmic movements and make sure that your hands never stop; they should be sweeping either out or in at any given time. Failure to master this skill does not prevent a person from swimming, but mastering it enables greater proficiency in later stages of the learning process. Repeat the drill several times, experimenting with hand angle and positioning to see what works best for you in creating propulsion. To develop a good catch, you must feel where the water pressure is on your hands and forearms!
To Increase Difficulty
- Do not use a pull buoy.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Bend your elbows slightly.
- Use a swimmer's snorkel.
Success Check
- You can make it down the pool.
- You can move forward with just the sculling motion and your arms straight. The motion is back and forth with the hands slightly cupped.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can swim across half the pool.
- 3 points: You can go farther than half of the pool length with no snorkel.
- 5-7 points: You can make it all the way down the pool length with little difficulty.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Single Stroke Breathing and Continuous Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm.
Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm. The best way to do so is to rotate the face out of the water as an arm is finishing a stroke at the thigh and beginning the recovery. The rotation is initiated at the shoulder and hip, and the head follows.
This technique is less about rotating the neck and more about proper positioning. There is a bow wave with the forward propulsion that allows for a trough to be produced; the depth and utility of that differ from swimmer to swimmer. A bow wave in the world of fluid mechanics is a wave that is produced by the vector displacement of water by another object. The size of the crest and trough produced depends on the mass, velocity, and displacement buoyancy of the object. As the body moves through the water, the crown of the head will cause the water in front of it to increase in pressure as the head moves forward. The water will seek equilibrium from this high pressure state by moving to a lower pressure. Due to the incompressibility of water, the water molecules "choose" a direction to go with some moving down and others moving up or to the side with and infinite number of vector possibilities. The rising part is offset by a falling part producing both a crest and a trough which is below the waterline and will be helpful when trying to rotate the mouth and nose toward the air to breathe.The objective here is to get your air as quickly as possible so that you can get your face back in the water before your hand finishes the recovery, thus readying you for the next catch.
At this point, you should be on your side or back with one arm at your side and the other arm above your head, in front of your shoulder. Practice this sequence several times. Most people prefer one side or the other for rotation, so multiple repeats are helpful to identify which side is preferred. Then move on to continuous breathing (figure 3.5).
Figure 3.4 Single-Stroke Breathing
Preparation
- As you did in working on the basic armstroke, push off of the wall and begin your armstrokes.
Execution
- While stroking with your arms, slowly exhale until you have expelled much of the air from your lungs.
- As you finish your next stroke, rotate your body and face so that your face is out of the water, then breathe in and stop.
Figure 3.5 Continuous Breathing
Preparation
- Follow the steps for single-stroke breathing in figure 3.4.
Execution
- Rotate your face back into the water and continue swimming. Rotate your face out of the water with a special emphasis on rotating the chin out.
- Once you have mastered rotation to the side and gotten a quick breath, rotate your face back in while your hand recovers, then repeat the process.
- Remember that slower movements are better at this point.
Misstep
You swallow water when trying to breathe.
Correction
Are you lifting your head to vertical and looking forward instead of rotating? Doing so brings your mouth and nose closer to the surface of the water; instead, think about rotating your chin out while leaving one eye in the water.
Misstep
Your hips sink when you go to breathe.
Correction
Make sure that you are looking to the side of the pool rather than lifting your head to look forward.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Track Start
Set: 1. Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge. 2. Place your other foot at the back of the block. 3. Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
Figure 8.4 Track Start
Set
- Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge.
- Place your other foot at the back of the block.
- Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
- Grab the front edge of the block with both hands.
- Very important: Keep your neck loose and look down or only slightly forward. Keep your center of gravity comfortably over the center of the block, between your forward foot and your back foot.
Push
- At the start command, initiate the start by pulling forward with your hands while simultaneously driving forward with your upper body.
- Lift your head slightly to spot the water and the point at which you hope to enter.
- At the same time, bring your hands forward toward the streamlined position.
- Then tuck your chin to your chest in the streamlined position.
Entry
- As your hands enter the water, begin to straighten your body so that it goes into the same hole in the water that your hands entered.
- As your body passes through the surface of the water, arch your back slightly to control the depth of the dive.
Streamline
- Push your chin forward slightly to adjust the depth and bring you to the surface for swimming as you streamline and perform the appropriate kick for the chosen stroke.
Misstep
You look up, lose your balance, and fall in.
Correction
Keep your neck loose; looking at the end of the pool constricts blood vessels in the neck.
Misstep
You rock back too far and sit on your back leg.
Correction
Having the hips slightly forward or back is common and often merely a matter of preference. However, a knee bend of more than 90 degrees does not allow for a good push. Move your hips forward.
Misstep
Your front leg is straight and locked out.
Correction
Make sure that you bend your knee so that you have some way of pushing off of the block with your lead leg rather than just your foot.
Drills for the Track Start
The next few drills focus on connecting all of the skills of the set, push, entry, and breakout streamline into one integrated skill.
Track Start Drill 1: 15-Meter
Though not really a drill, this exercise enables you to determine which start is best for you. Try the grab start and record your time at 15 yards. Do the same for the track start with each leg serving as the forward leg. Do this sequence several times to determine which type of start is best for you.
In competition pools, the 15-yard mark is signified by an off-color (e.g., red or yellow) disk as part of the lane line. If the pool does not have such a mark, you can use any measured distance beyond 10 yards.
Track Start Drill 2: Standing Jump
This drill isolates the push portion of the start. From the take-your-mark position, push forward as forcefully as possible to get as much forward velocity as you can. Then pull your feet up to enter the water feetfirst. Practice this drill several times to see how far down the pool you can get.
To Increase Difficulty
- Place a marker (e.g., a diving brick) on the bottom of the pool as a target and try to hit the spot in the water directly above it.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Start from the deck and just do the drill as a standing broad jump.
- Start from the deck in the set position.
Success Check
- You can hold yourself steady in the set position.
- You can enter the water at least 4 feet (1.2 m) away from the block.
- You can hit a target in the water after spotting it.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can do the drill from the deck and get at least a yard from the wall.
- 3 points: You can do the drill and get at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
- 5 points: You can do the drill and hit a designated target at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Sculling ' Developing a feel for the water
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid.
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid. Though some people advocate holding the hand like a paddle or spoon, a rigid hand position provides no meaningful hydrodynamic advantage for most swimmers. The hand should be slightly curved like the blade of a propeller on a plane or boat. The curvature provides great ability to produce higher and lower areas of pressure similar to that also of an airplane wing.
Stand in the water with your back to the pool wall. Extend your arms straight out in front of you and sink to the point where your shoulders are just below the surface and your arms are completely covered with water. With your hands in a natural, relaxed position and slightly cupped, rotate your thumbs down so that your palms are angled slightly rather than parallel to the pool bottom.
Next, sweep your hands outward, making sure to keep your elbows straight. You should feel pressure from the water on your hands and forearms. Once your hands are about 2 feet (0.6 m) apart, rotate your thumbs up and your little fingers down so that, once again, your palms are slightly angled - only this time toward each other rather than away - and move your arms back to the original position. Again, keep your elbows straight.
Repeat this motion several times and adjust the pitch of your palms to get a good feel for the water. As you progress, angle your fingers down slightly as well. The sculling motion creates higher pressure on the palm side of your hand and lower pressure on the back of your hand, thus providing propulsive force.
Figure 2.3 Sculling
Preparation
- Check the water around you to ensure that you have enough room to perform the skill.
- Make sure that you are in water no deeper than chest level.
- Position yourself with plenty of distance to cover in the same depth of water.
Execution
- Begin by lying on the water facedown.
- Extend the arms in front and over your head.
- With the hands slightly cupped, sweep the hands out and in with fingers pitching down toward the bottom of the pool.
- Keeping the elbows and arms long but not locked, repeat the process until you can feel forward movement.
Misstep
You keep your hands very stiff.
Correction
Relax your hands and feel the water.
Misstep
You don't go anywhere when sculling.
Correction
Make sure that your hands are slightly cupped, which provides the same high-pressure and low-pressure propulsion as propellers and airplane wings. Water will flow faster over the top part of the hand as it has a greater distance to travel, and the inside arc of the hand has a smaller linear distance, so the water remains easier to hold. The faster moving water on the top of the hand is low pressure, and the palm would be higher pressure. To achieve equilibrium, the barrier (i.e., the hand) will move toward the lower pressure.
Drill for Sculling
Use the following drill to help practice the sculling skill.
Sculling Drill: Sculling With a Pull Buoy
Next, put this skill to work in a swimming position. Place a pull buoy between your legs slightly above your knees. Lie flat and facedown on the water in a neutral position, as described in step 1, with your arms extended above your head. Keep your hands relaxed, with your fingers pitched slightly downward, and slowly try the sculling motion until you feel yourself being pulled forward.
This is a complex skill that takes time to master. It requires movements that are not fast, rigid, or mechanical but slow, controlled, and fluid. Use slow, rhythmic movements and make sure that your hands never stop; they should be sweeping either out or in at any given time. Failure to master this skill does not prevent a person from swimming, but mastering it enables greater proficiency in later stages of the learning process. Repeat the drill several times, experimenting with hand angle and positioning to see what works best for you in creating propulsion. To develop a good catch, you must feel where the water pressure is on your hands and forearms!
To Increase Difficulty
- Do not use a pull buoy.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Bend your elbows slightly.
- Use a swimmer's snorkel.
Success Check
- You can make it down the pool.
- You can move forward with just the sculling motion and your arms straight. The motion is back and forth with the hands slightly cupped.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can swim across half the pool.
- 3 points: You can go farther than half of the pool length with no snorkel.
- 5-7 points: You can make it all the way down the pool length with little difficulty.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Single Stroke Breathing and Continuous Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm.
Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm. The best way to do so is to rotate the face out of the water as an arm is finishing a stroke at the thigh and beginning the recovery. The rotation is initiated at the shoulder and hip, and the head follows.
This technique is less about rotating the neck and more about proper positioning. There is a bow wave with the forward propulsion that allows for a trough to be produced; the depth and utility of that differ from swimmer to swimmer. A bow wave in the world of fluid mechanics is a wave that is produced by the vector displacement of water by another object. The size of the crest and trough produced depends on the mass, velocity, and displacement buoyancy of the object. As the body moves through the water, the crown of the head will cause the water in front of it to increase in pressure as the head moves forward. The water will seek equilibrium from this high pressure state by moving to a lower pressure. Due to the incompressibility of water, the water molecules "choose" a direction to go with some moving down and others moving up or to the side with and infinite number of vector possibilities. The rising part is offset by a falling part producing both a crest and a trough which is below the waterline and will be helpful when trying to rotate the mouth and nose toward the air to breathe.The objective here is to get your air as quickly as possible so that you can get your face back in the water before your hand finishes the recovery, thus readying you for the next catch.
At this point, you should be on your side or back with one arm at your side and the other arm above your head, in front of your shoulder. Practice this sequence several times. Most people prefer one side or the other for rotation, so multiple repeats are helpful to identify which side is preferred. Then move on to continuous breathing (figure 3.5).
Figure 3.4 Single-Stroke Breathing
Preparation
- As you did in working on the basic armstroke, push off of the wall and begin your armstrokes.
Execution
- While stroking with your arms, slowly exhale until you have expelled much of the air from your lungs.
- As you finish your next stroke, rotate your body and face so that your face is out of the water, then breathe in and stop.
Figure 3.5 Continuous Breathing
Preparation
- Follow the steps for single-stroke breathing in figure 3.4.
Execution
- Rotate your face back into the water and continue swimming. Rotate your face out of the water with a special emphasis on rotating the chin out.
- Once you have mastered rotation to the side and gotten a quick breath, rotate your face back in while your hand recovers, then repeat the process.
- Remember that slower movements are better at this point.
Misstep
You swallow water when trying to breathe.
Correction
Are you lifting your head to vertical and looking forward instead of rotating? Doing so brings your mouth and nose closer to the surface of the water; instead, think about rotating your chin out while leaving one eye in the water.
Misstep
Your hips sink when you go to breathe.
Correction
Make sure that you are looking to the side of the pool rather than lifting your head to look forward.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Track Start
Set: 1. Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge. 2. Place your other foot at the back of the block. 3. Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
Figure 8.4 Track Start
Set
- Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge.
- Place your other foot at the back of the block.
- Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
- Grab the front edge of the block with both hands.
- Very important: Keep your neck loose and look down or only slightly forward. Keep your center of gravity comfortably over the center of the block, between your forward foot and your back foot.
Push
- At the start command, initiate the start by pulling forward with your hands while simultaneously driving forward with your upper body.
- Lift your head slightly to spot the water and the point at which you hope to enter.
- At the same time, bring your hands forward toward the streamlined position.
- Then tuck your chin to your chest in the streamlined position.
Entry
- As your hands enter the water, begin to straighten your body so that it goes into the same hole in the water that your hands entered.
- As your body passes through the surface of the water, arch your back slightly to control the depth of the dive.
Streamline
- Push your chin forward slightly to adjust the depth and bring you to the surface for swimming as you streamline and perform the appropriate kick for the chosen stroke.
Misstep
You look up, lose your balance, and fall in.
Correction
Keep your neck loose; looking at the end of the pool constricts blood vessels in the neck.
Misstep
You rock back too far and sit on your back leg.
Correction
Having the hips slightly forward or back is common and often merely a matter of preference. However, a knee bend of more than 90 degrees does not allow for a good push. Move your hips forward.
Misstep
Your front leg is straight and locked out.
Correction
Make sure that you bend your knee so that you have some way of pushing off of the block with your lead leg rather than just your foot.
Drills for the Track Start
The next few drills focus on connecting all of the skills of the set, push, entry, and breakout streamline into one integrated skill.
Track Start Drill 1: 15-Meter
Though not really a drill, this exercise enables you to determine which start is best for you. Try the grab start and record your time at 15 yards. Do the same for the track start with each leg serving as the forward leg. Do this sequence several times to determine which type of start is best for you.
In competition pools, the 15-yard mark is signified by an off-color (e.g., red or yellow) disk as part of the lane line. If the pool does not have such a mark, you can use any measured distance beyond 10 yards.
Track Start Drill 2: Standing Jump
This drill isolates the push portion of the start. From the take-your-mark position, push forward as forcefully as possible to get as much forward velocity as you can. Then pull your feet up to enter the water feetfirst. Practice this drill several times to see how far down the pool you can get.
To Increase Difficulty
- Place a marker (e.g., a diving brick) on the bottom of the pool as a target and try to hit the spot in the water directly above it.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Start from the deck and just do the drill as a standing broad jump.
- Start from the deck in the set position.
Success Check
- You can hold yourself steady in the set position.
- You can enter the water at least 4 feet (1.2 m) away from the block.
- You can hit a target in the water after spotting it.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can do the drill from the deck and get at least a yard from the wall.
- 3 points: You can do the drill and get at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
- 5 points: You can do the drill and hit a designated target at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Sculling ' Developing a feel for the water
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid.
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid. Though some people advocate holding the hand like a paddle or spoon, a rigid hand position provides no meaningful hydrodynamic advantage for most swimmers. The hand should be slightly curved like the blade of a propeller on a plane or boat. The curvature provides great ability to produce higher and lower areas of pressure similar to that also of an airplane wing.
Stand in the water with your back to the pool wall. Extend your arms straight out in front of you and sink to the point where your shoulders are just below the surface and your arms are completely covered with water. With your hands in a natural, relaxed position and slightly cupped, rotate your thumbs down so that your palms are angled slightly rather than parallel to the pool bottom.
Next, sweep your hands outward, making sure to keep your elbows straight. You should feel pressure from the water on your hands and forearms. Once your hands are about 2 feet (0.6 m) apart, rotate your thumbs up and your little fingers down so that, once again, your palms are slightly angled - only this time toward each other rather than away - and move your arms back to the original position. Again, keep your elbows straight.
Repeat this motion several times and adjust the pitch of your palms to get a good feel for the water. As you progress, angle your fingers down slightly as well. The sculling motion creates higher pressure on the palm side of your hand and lower pressure on the back of your hand, thus providing propulsive force.
Figure 2.3 Sculling
Preparation
- Check the water around you to ensure that you have enough room to perform the skill.
- Make sure that you are in water no deeper than chest level.
- Position yourself with plenty of distance to cover in the same depth of water.
Execution
- Begin by lying on the water facedown.
- Extend the arms in front and over your head.
- With the hands slightly cupped, sweep the hands out and in with fingers pitching down toward the bottom of the pool.
- Keeping the elbows and arms long but not locked, repeat the process until you can feel forward movement.
Misstep
You keep your hands very stiff.
Correction
Relax your hands and feel the water.
Misstep
You don't go anywhere when sculling.
Correction
Make sure that your hands are slightly cupped, which provides the same high-pressure and low-pressure propulsion as propellers and airplane wings. Water will flow faster over the top part of the hand as it has a greater distance to travel, and the inside arc of the hand has a smaller linear distance, so the water remains easier to hold. The faster moving water on the top of the hand is low pressure, and the palm would be higher pressure. To achieve equilibrium, the barrier (i.e., the hand) will move toward the lower pressure.
Drill for Sculling
Use the following drill to help practice the sculling skill.
Sculling Drill: Sculling With a Pull Buoy
Next, put this skill to work in a swimming position. Place a pull buoy between your legs slightly above your knees. Lie flat and facedown on the water in a neutral position, as described in step 1, with your arms extended above your head. Keep your hands relaxed, with your fingers pitched slightly downward, and slowly try the sculling motion until you feel yourself being pulled forward.
This is a complex skill that takes time to master. It requires movements that are not fast, rigid, or mechanical but slow, controlled, and fluid. Use slow, rhythmic movements and make sure that your hands never stop; they should be sweeping either out or in at any given time. Failure to master this skill does not prevent a person from swimming, but mastering it enables greater proficiency in later stages of the learning process. Repeat the drill several times, experimenting with hand angle and positioning to see what works best for you in creating propulsion. To develop a good catch, you must feel where the water pressure is on your hands and forearms!
To Increase Difficulty
- Do not use a pull buoy.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Bend your elbows slightly.
- Use a swimmer's snorkel.
Success Check
- You can make it down the pool.
- You can move forward with just the sculling motion and your arms straight. The motion is back and forth with the hands slightly cupped.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can swim across half the pool.
- 3 points: You can go farther than half of the pool length with no snorkel.
- 5-7 points: You can make it all the way down the pool length with little difficulty.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Single Stroke Breathing and Continuous Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm.
Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm. The best way to do so is to rotate the face out of the water as an arm is finishing a stroke at the thigh and beginning the recovery. The rotation is initiated at the shoulder and hip, and the head follows.
This technique is less about rotating the neck and more about proper positioning. There is a bow wave with the forward propulsion that allows for a trough to be produced; the depth and utility of that differ from swimmer to swimmer. A bow wave in the world of fluid mechanics is a wave that is produced by the vector displacement of water by another object. The size of the crest and trough produced depends on the mass, velocity, and displacement buoyancy of the object. As the body moves through the water, the crown of the head will cause the water in front of it to increase in pressure as the head moves forward. The water will seek equilibrium from this high pressure state by moving to a lower pressure. Due to the incompressibility of water, the water molecules "choose" a direction to go with some moving down and others moving up or to the side with and infinite number of vector possibilities. The rising part is offset by a falling part producing both a crest and a trough which is below the waterline and will be helpful when trying to rotate the mouth and nose toward the air to breathe.The objective here is to get your air as quickly as possible so that you can get your face back in the water before your hand finishes the recovery, thus readying you for the next catch.
At this point, you should be on your side or back with one arm at your side and the other arm above your head, in front of your shoulder. Practice this sequence several times. Most people prefer one side or the other for rotation, so multiple repeats are helpful to identify which side is preferred. Then move on to continuous breathing (figure 3.5).
Figure 3.4 Single-Stroke Breathing
Preparation
- As you did in working on the basic armstroke, push off of the wall and begin your armstrokes.
Execution
- While stroking with your arms, slowly exhale until you have expelled much of the air from your lungs.
- As you finish your next stroke, rotate your body and face so that your face is out of the water, then breathe in and stop.
Figure 3.5 Continuous Breathing
Preparation
- Follow the steps for single-stroke breathing in figure 3.4.
Execution
- Rotate your face back into the water and continue swimming. Rotate your face out of the water with a special emphasis on rotating the chin out.
- Once you have mastered rotation to the side and gotten a quick breath, rotate your face back in while your hand recovers, then repeat the process.
- Remember that slower movements are better at this point.
Misstep
You swallow water when trying to breathe.
Correction
Are you lifting your head to vertical and looking forward instead of rotating? Doing so brings your mouth and nose closer to the surface of the water; instead, think about rotating your chin out while leaving one eye in the water.
Misstep
Your hips sink when you go to breathe.
Correction
Make sure that you are looking to the side of the pool rather than lifting your head to look forward.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Track Start
Set: 1. Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge. 2. Place your other foot at the back of the block. 3. Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
Figure 8.4 Track Start
Set
- Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge.
- Place your other foot at the back of the block.
- Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
- Grab the front edge of the block with both hands.
- Very important: Keep your neck loose and look down or only slightly forward. Keep your center of gravity comfortably over the center of the block, between your forward foot and your back foot.
Push
- At the start command, initiate the start by pulling forward with your hands while simultaneously driving forward with your upper body.
- Lift your head slightly to spot the water and the point at which you hope to enter.
- At the same time, bring your hands forward toward the streamlined position.
- Then tuck your chin to your chest in the streamlined position.
Entry
- As your hands enter the water, begin to straighten your body so that it goes into the same hole in the water that your hands entered.
- As your body passes through the surface of the water, arch your back slightly to control the depth of the dive.
Streamline
- Push your chin forward slightly to adjust the depth and bring you to the surface for swimming as you streamline and perform the appropriate kick for the chosen stroke.
Misstep
You look up, lose your balance, and fall in.
Correction
Keep your neck loose; looking at the end of the pool constricts blood vessels in the neck.
Misstep
You rock back too far and sit on your back leg.
Correction
Having the hips slightly forward or back is common and often merely a matter of preference. However, a knee bend of more than 90 degrees does not allow for a good push. Move your hips forward.
Misstep
Your front leg is straight and locked out.
Correction
Make sure that you bend your knee so that you have some way of pushing off of the block with your lead leg rather than just your foot.
Drills for the Track Start
The next few drills focus on connecting all of the skills of the set, push, entry, and breakout streamline into one integrated skill.
Track Start Drill 1: 15-Meter
Though not really a drill, this exercise enables you to determine which start is best for you. Try the grab start and record your time at 15 yards. Do the same for the track start with each leg serving as the forward leg. Do this sequence several times to determine which type of start is best for you.
In competition pools, the 15-yard mark is signified by an off-color (e.g., red or yellow) disk as part of the lane line. If the pool does not have such a mark, you can use any measured distance beyond 10 yards.
Track Start Drill 2: Standing Jump
This drill isolates the push portion of the start. From the take-your-mark position, push forward as forcefully as possible to get as much forward velocity as you can. Then pull your feet up to enter the water feetfirst. Practice this drill several times to see how far down the pool you can get.
To Increase Difficulty
- Place a marker (e.g., a diving brick) on the bottom of the pool as a target and try to hit the spot in the water directly above it.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Start from the deck and just do the drill as a standing broad jump.
- Start from the deck in the set position.
Success Check
- You can hold yourself steady in the set position.
- You can enter the water at least 4 feet (1.2 m) away from the block.
- You can hit a target in the water after spotting it.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can do the drill from the deck and get at least a yard from the wall.
- 3 points: You can do the drill and get at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
- 5 points: You can do the drill and hit a designated target at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Sculling ' Developing a feel for the water
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid.
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid. Though some people advocate holding the hand like a paddle or spoon, a rigid hand position provides no meaningful hydrodynamic advantage for most swimmers. The hand should be slightly curved like the blade of a propeller on a plane or boat. The curvature provides great ability to produce higher and lower areas of pressure similar to that also of an airplane wing.
Stand in the water with your back to the pool wall. Extend your arms straight out in front of you and sink to the point where your shoulders are just below the surface and your arms are completely covered with water. With your hands in a natural, relaxed position and slightly cupped, rotate your thumbs down so that your palms are angled slightly rather than parallel to the pool bottom.
Next, sweep your hands outward, making sure to keep your elbows straight. You should feel pressure from the water on your hands and forearms. Once your hands are about 2 feet (0.6 m) apart, rotate your thumbs up and your little fingers down so that, once again, your palms are slightly angled - only this time toward each other rather than away - and move your arms back to the original position. Again, keep your elbows straight.
Repeat this motion several times and adjust the pitch of your palms to get a good feel for the water. As you progress, angle your fingers down slightly as well. The sculling motion creates higher pressure on the palm side of your hand and lower pressure on the back of your hand, thus providing propulsive force.
Figure 2.3 Sculling
Preparation
- Check the water around you to ensure that you have enough room to perform the skill.
- Make sure that you are in water no deeper than chest level.
- Position yourself with plenty of distance to cover in the same depth of water.
Execution
- Begin by lying on the water facedown.
- Extend the arms in front and over your head.
- With the hands slightly cupped, sweep the hands out and in with fingers pitching down toward the bottom of the pool.
- Keeping the elbows and arms long but not locked, repeat the process until you can feel forward movement.
Misstep
You keep your hands very stiff.
Correction
Relax your hands and feel the water.
Misstep
You don't go anywhere when sculling.
Correction
Make sure that your hands are slightly cupped, which provides the same high-pressure and low-pressure propulsion as propellers and airplane wings. Water will flow faster over the top part of the hand as it has a greater distance to travel, and the inside arc of the hand has a smaller linear distance, so the water remains easier to hold. The faster moving water on the top of the hand is low pressure, and the palm would be higher pressure. To achieve equilibrium, the barrier (i.e., the hand) will move toward the lower pressure.
Drill for Sculling
Use the following drill to help practice the sculling skill.
Sculling Drill: Sculling With a Pull Buoy
Next, put this skill to work in a swimming position. Place a pull buoy between your legs slightly above your knees. Lie flat and facedown on the water in a neutral position, as described in step 1, with your arms extended above your head. Keep your hands relaxed, with your fingers pitched slightly downward, and slowly try the sculling motion until you feel yourself being pulled forward.
This is a complex skill that takes time to master. It requires movements that are not fast, rigid, or mechanical but slow, controlled, and fluid. Use slow, rhythmic movements and make sure that your hands never stop; they should be sweeping either out or in at any given time. Failure to master this skill does not prevent a person from swimming, but mastering it enables greater proficiency in later stages of the learning process. Repeat the drill several times, experimenting with hand angle and positioning to see what works best for you in creating propulsion. To develop a good catch, you must feel where the water pressure is on your hands and forearms!
To Increase Difficulty
- Do not use a pull buoy.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Bend your elbows slightly.
- Use a swimmer's snorkel.
Success Check
- You can make it down the pool.
- You can move forward with just the sculling motion and your arms straight. The motion is back and forth with the hands slightly cupped.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can swim across half the pool.
- 3 points: You can go farther than half of the pool length with no snorkel.
- 5-7 points: You can make it all the way down the pool length with little difficulty.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Single Stroke Breathing and Continuous Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm.
Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm. The best way to do so is to rotate the face out of the water as an arm is finishing a stroke at the thigh and beginning the recovery. The rotation is initiated at the shoulder and hip, and the head follows.
This technique is less about rotating the neck and more about proper positioning. There is a bow wave with the forward propulsion that allows for a trough to be produced; the depth and utility of that differ from swimmer to swimmer. A bow wave in the world of fluid mechanics is a wave that is produced by the vector displacement of water by another object. The size of the crest and trough produced depends on the mass, velocity, and displacement buoyancy of the object. As the body moves through the water, the crown of the head will cause the water in front of it to increase in pressure as the head moves forward. The water will seek equilibrium from this high pressure state by moving to a lower pressure. Due to the incompressibility of water, the water molecules "choose" a direction to go with some moving down and others moving up or to the side with and infinite number of vector possibilities. The rising part is offset by a falling part producing both a crest and a trough which is below the waterline and will be helpful when trying to rotate the mouth and nose toward the air to breathe.The objective here is to get your air as quickly as possible so that you can get your face back in the water before your hand finishes the recovery, thus readying you for the next catch.
At this point, you should be on your side or back with one arm at your side and the other arm above your head, in front of your shoulder. Practice this sequence several times. Most people prefer one side or the other for rotation, so multiple repeats are helpful to identify which side is preferred. Then move on to continuous breathing (figure 3.5).
Figure 3.4 Single-Stroke Breathing
Preparation
- As you did in working on the basic armstroke, push off of the wall and begin your armstrokes.
Execution
- While stroking with your arms, slowly exhale until you have expelled much of the air from your lungs.
- As you finish your next stroke, rotate your body and face so that your face is out of the water, then breathe in and stop.
Figure 3.5 Continuous Breathing
Preparation
- Follow the steps for single-stroke breathing in figure 3.4.
Execution
- Rotate your face back into the water and continue swimming. Rotate your face out of the water with a special emphasis on rotating the chin out.
- Once you have mastered rotation to the side and gotten a quick breath, rotate your face back in while your hand recovers, then repeat the process.
- Remember that slower movements are better at this point.
Misstep
You swallow water when trying to breathe.
Correction
Are you lifting your head to vertical and looking forward instead of rotating? Doing so brings your mouth and nose closer to the surface of the water; instead, think about rotating your chin out while leaving one eye in the water.
Misstep
Your hips sink when you go to breathe.
Correction
Make sure that you are looking to the side of the pool rather than lifting your head to look forward.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Track Start
Set: 1. Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge. 2. Place your other foot at the back of the block. 3. Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
Figure 8.4 Track Start
Set
- Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge.
- Place your other foot at the back of the block.
- Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
- Grab the front edge of the block with both hands.
- Very important: Keep your neck loose and look down or only slightly forward. Keep your center of gravity comfortably over the center of the block, between your forward foot and your back foot.
Push
- At the start command, initiate the start by pulling forward with your hands while simultaneously driving forward with your upper body.
- Lift your head slightly to spot the water and the point at which you hope to enter.
- At the same time, bring your hands forward toward the streamlined position.
- Then tuck your chin to your chest in the streamlined position.
Entry
- As your hands enter the water, begin to straighten your body so that it goes into the same hole in the water that your hands entered.
- As your body passes through the surface of the water, arch your back slightly to control the depth of the dive.
Streamline
- Push your chin forward slightly to adjust the depth and bring you to the surface for swimming as you streamline and perform the appropriate kick for the chosen stroke.
Misstep
You look up, lose your balance, and fall in.
Correction
Keep your neck loose; looking at the end of the pool constricts blood vessels in the neck.
Misstep
You rock back too far and sit on your back leg.
Correction
Having the hips slightly forward or back is common and often merely a matter of preference. However, a knee bend of more than 90 degrees does not allow for a good push. Move your hips forward.
Misstep
Your front leg is straight and locked out.
Correction
Make sure that you bend your knee so that you have some way of pushing off of the block with your lead leg rather than just your foot.
Drills for the Track Start
The next few drills focus on connecting all of the skills of the set, push, entry, and breakout streamline into one integrated skill.
Track Start Drill 1: 15-Meter
Though not really a drill, this exercise enables you to determine which start is best for you. Try the grab start and record your time at 15 yards. Do the same for the track start with each leg serving as the forward leg. Do this sequence several times to determine which type of start is best for you.
In competition pools, the 15-yard mark is signified by an off-color (e.g., red or yellow) disk as part of the lane line. If the pool does not have such a mark, you can use any measured distance beyond 10 yards.
Track Start Drill 2: Standing Jump
This drill isolates the push portion of the start. From the take-your-mark position, push forward as forcefully as possible to get as much forward velocity as you can. Then pull your feet up to enter the water feetfirst. Practice this drill several times to see how far down the pool you can get.
To Increase Difficulty
- Place a marker (e.g., a diving brick) on the bottom of the pool as a target and try to hit the spot in the water directly above it.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Start from the deck and just do the drill as a standing broad jump.
- Start from the deck in the set position.
Success Check
- You can hold yourself steady in the set position.
- You can enter the water at least 4 feet (1.2 m) away from the block.
- You can hit a target in the water after spotting it.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can do the drill from the deck and get at least a yard from the wall.
- 3 points: You can do the drill and get at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
- 5 points: You can do the drill and hit a designated target at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Sculling ' Developing a feel for the water
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid.
The next skill in developing a feel for the water involves sculling (figure 2.3) and putting pressure on the water with both your hands and your forearms. Your hand position should be loose rather than rigid. Though some people advocate holding the hand like a paddle or spoon, a rigid hand position provides no meaningful hydrodynamic advantage for most swimmers. The hand should be slightly curved like the blade of a propeller on a plane or boat. The curvature provides great ability to produce higher and lower areas of pressure similar to that also of an airplane wing.
Stand in the water with your back to the pool wall. Extend your arms straight out in front of you and sink to the point where your shoulders are just below the surface and your arms are completely covered with water. With your hands in a natural, relaxed position and slightly cupped, rotate your thumbs down so that your palms are angled slightly rather than parallel to the pool bottom.
Next, sweep your hands outward, making sure to keep your elbows straight. You should feel pressure from the water on your hands and forearms. Once your hands are about 2 feet (0.6 m) apart, rotate your thumbs up and your little fingers down so that, once again, your palms are slightly angled - only this time toward each other rather than away - and move your arms back to the original position. Again, keep your elbows straight.
Repeat this motion several times and adjust the pitch of your palms to get a good feel for the water. As you progress, angle your fingers down slightly as well. The sculling motion creates higher pressure on the palm side of your hand and lower pressure on the back of your hand, thus providing propulsive force.
Figure 2.3 Sculling
Preparation
- Check the water around you to ensure that you have enough room to perform the skill.
- Make sure that you are in water no deeper than chest level.
- Position yourself with plenty of distance to cover in the same depth of water.
Execution
- Begin by lying on the water facedown.
- Extend the arms in front and over your head.
- With the hands slightly cupped, sweep the hands out and in with fingers pitching down toward the bottom of the pool.
- Keeping the elbows and arms long but not locked, repeat the process until you can feel forward movement.
Misstep
You keep your hands very stiff.
Correction
Relax your hands and feel the water.
Misstep
You don't go anywhere when sculling.
Correction
Make sure that your hands are slightly cupped, which provides the same high-pressure and low-pressure propulsion as propellers and airplane wings. Water will flow faster over the top part of the hand as it has a greater distance to travel, and the inside arc of the hand has a smaller linear distance, so the water remains easier to hold. The faster moving water on the top of the hand is low pressure, and the palm would be higher pressure. To achieve equilibrium, the barrier (i.e., the hand) will move toward the lower pressure.
Drill for Sculling
Use the following drill to help practice the sculling skill.
Sculling Drill: Sculling With a Pull Buoy
Next, put this skill to work in a swimming position. Place a pull buoy between your legs slightly above your knees. Lie flat and facedown on the water in a neutral position, as described in step 1, with your arms extended above your head. Keep your hands relaxed, with your fingers pitched slightly downward, and slowly try the sculling motion until you feel yourself being pulled forward.
This is a complex skill that takes time to master. It requires movements that are not fast, rigid, or mechanical but slow, controlled, and fluid. Use slow, rhythmic movements and make sure that your hands never stop; they should be sweeping either out or in at any given time. Failure to master this skill does not prevent a person from swimming, but mastering it enables greater proficiency in later stages of the learning process. Repeat the drill several times, experimenting with hand angle and positioning to see what works best for you in creating propulsion. To develop a good catch, you must feel where the water pressure is on your hands and forearms!
To Increase Difficulty
- Do not use a pull buoy.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Bend your elbows slightly.
- Use a swimmer's snorkel.
Success Check
- You can make it down the pool.
- You can move forward with just the sculling motion and your arms straight. The motion is back and forth with the hands slightly cupped.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can swim across half the pool.
- 3 points: You can go farther than half of the pool length with no snorkel.
- 5-7 points: You can make it all the way down the pool length with little difficulty.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Single Stroke Breathing and Continuous Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm.
Breathing
As land-based creatures, we cannot process oxygen out of water as fish do; therefore, we must find a way to breathe air while swimming. In freestyle, this need is met by rotating the head so that the mouth and nose are out of the water at a good time during the stroke cycle (figure 3.4), thus allowing the swimmer to breathe without interrupting his or her rhythm. The best way to do so is to rotate the face out of the water as an arm is finishing a stroke at the thigh and beginning the recovery. The rotation is initiated at the shoulder and hip, and the head follows.
This technique is less about rotating the neck and more about proper positioning. There is a bow wave with the forward propulsion that allows for a trough to be produced; the depth and utility of that differ from swimmer to swimmer. A bow wave in the world of fluid mechanics is a wave that is produced by the vector displacement of water by another object. The size of the crest and trough produced depends on the mass, velocity, and displacement buoyancy of the object. As the body moves through the water, the crown of the head will cause the water in front of it to increase in pressure as the head moves forward. The water will seek equilibrium from this high pressure state by moving to a lower pressure. Due to the incompressibility of water, the water molecules "choose" a direction to go with some moving down and others moving up or to the side with and infinite number of vector possibilities. The rising part is offset by a falling part producing both a crest and a trough which is below the waterline and will be helpful when trying to rotate the mouth and nose toward the air to breathe.The objective here is to get your air as quickly as possible so that you can get your face back in the water before your hand finishes the recovery, thus readying you for the next catch.
At this point, you should be on your side or back with one arm at your side and the other arm above your head, in front of your shoulder. Practice this sequence several times. Most people prefer one side or the other for rotation, so multiple repeats are helpful to identify which side is preferred. Then move on to continuous breathing (figure 3.5).
Figure 3.4 Single-Stroke Breathing
Preparation
- As you did in working on the basic armstroke, push off of the wall and begin your armstrokes.
Execution
- While stroking with your arms, slowly exhale until you have expelled much of the air from your lungs.
- As you finish your next stroke, rotate your body and face so that your face is out of the water, then breathe in and stop.
Figure 3.5 Continuous Breathing
Preparation
- Follow the steps for single-stroke breathing in figure 3.4.
Execution
- Rotate your face back into the water and continue swimming. Rotate your face out of the water with a special emphasis on rotating the chin out.
- Once you have mastered rotation to the side and gotten a quick breath, rotate your face back in while your hand recovers, then repeat the process.
- Remember that slower movements are better at this point.
Misstep
You swallow water when trying to breathe.
Correction
Are you lifting your head to vertical and looking forward instead of rotating? Doing so brings your mouth and nose closer to the surface of the water; instead, think about rotating your chin out while leaving one eye in the water.
Misstep
Your hips sink when you go to breathe.
Correction
Make sure that you are looking to the side of the pool rather than lifting your head to look forward.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
Track Start
Set: 1. Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge. 2. Place your other foot at the back of the block. 3. Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
Figure 8.4 Track Start
Set
- Stand at the front edge of the block with one foot forward and the toes curled over the edge.
- Place your other foot at the back of the block.
- Bend at your waist and bend your knees slightly to assume almost a crouched position.
- Grab the front edge of the block with both hands.
- Very important: Keep your neck loose and look down or only slightly forward. Keep your center of gravity comfortably over the center of the block, between your forward foot and your back foot.
Push
- At the start command, initiate the start by pulling forward with your hands while simultaneously driving forward with your upper body.
- Lift your head slightly to spot the water and the point at which you hope to enter.
- At the same time, bring your hands forward toward the streamlined position.
- Then tuck your chin to your chest in the streamlined position.
Entry
- As your hands enter the water, begin to straighten your body so that it goes into the same hole in the water that your hands entered.
- As your body passes through the surface of the water, arch your back slightly to control the depth of the dive.
Streamline
- Push your chin forward slightly to adjust the depth and bring you to the surface for swimming as you streamline and perform the appropriate kick for the chosen stroke.
Misstep
You look up, lose your balance, and fall in.
Correction
Keep your neck loose; looking at the end of the pool constricts blood vessels in the neck.
Misstep
You rock back too far and sit on your back leg.
Correction
Having the hips slightly forward or back is common and often merely a matter of preference. However, a knee bend of more than 90 degrees does not allow for a good push. Move your hips forward.
Misstep
Your front leg is straight and locked out.
Correction
Make sure that you bend your knee so that you have some way of pushing off of the block with your lead leg rather than just your foot.
Drills for the Track Start
The next few drills focus on connecting all of the skills of the set, push, entry, and breakout streamline into one integrated skill.
Track Start Drill 1: 15-Meter
Though not really a drill, this exercise enables you to determine which start is best for you. Try the grab start and record your time at 15 yards. Do the same for the track start with each leg serving as the forward leg. Do this sequence several times to determine which type of start is best for you.
In competition pools, the 15-yard mark is signified by an off-color (e.g., red or yellow) disk as part of the lane line. If the pool does not have such a mark, you can use any measured distance beyond 10 yards.
Track Start Drill 2: Standing Jump
This drill isolates the push portion of the start. From the take-your-mark position, push forward as forcefully as possible to get as much forward velocity as you can. Then pull your feet up to enter the water feetfirst. Practice this drill several times to see how far down the pool you can get.
To Increase Difficulty
- Place a marker (e.g., a diving brick) on the bottom of the pool as a target and try to hit the spot in the water directly above it.
To Decrease Difficulty
- Start from the deck and just do the drill as a standing broad jump.
- Start from the deck in the set position.
Success Check
- You can hold yourself steady in the set position.
- You can enter the water at least 4 feet (1.2 m) away from the block.
- You can hit a target in the water after spotting it.
Score Your Success
- 1 point: You can do the drill from the deck and get at least a yard from the wall.
- 3 points: You can do the drill and get at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
- 5 points: You can do the drill and hit a designated target at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from the wall.
Learn more about Swimming: Steps to Success.
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