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Stroke Mechanics

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Stroke Mechanics

Do not underestimate the importance of improving your stroke. No swimmer can swim good times without a stroke that is correct in most of the important propulsive aspects, no matter how hard he or she works. This is not to say that your stroke must be perfect, no one has a perfect stroke. However, striving for perfection, even though it is an unattainable goal, will bring the improvement you want.

*There are four steps in correcting a stroke:

  1. Understanding what you are doing wrong and being able to feel the mistakes. (Learn by watching films.)
  2. Understanding how to make the necessary corrections and making a concentrated effort to do so. Requires low pressure stroke drills and lots of concentration.
  3. Once the correct stroke is mastered at slow speeds you must learn to hold it during the most severe practice sessions. Until you can do this, the corrected stroke will not be usable in races.
  4. Swimming correctly without conscious thought.

Most swimmers never get beyond the second stage. They lose concentration when tired and fall back into old patterns. When changing your stroke you must expect to get worse before you get better. Even a more efficient pattern requires time to become “grooved” before the efficiency results in faster times. Do not revert to old habits during the learning stage simply to swim fast repeats. Persevere, and soon you will be repeating faster than ever!

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2 Mechanical Principles to Swimming Faster

Decrease Drag

Increase Propulsion

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Types of Drag

  1. Form Drag
    1. Less than horizontal body positions increase resistance to forward motion
    2. Excessive vertical and lateral movements create too great a disturbance on the laminar flows
    3. Minimize form drag
      1. Bodies maintain good body position near the surface with minimal inclination of hip and feet
      2. Minimize lateral movement with hips and legs and arms on recovery
      3. Minimize up and down motion
  2. Wave Drag
    • Caused by turbulence of the surface
    • Most common causes:
      • Poor pool design, inadequate lane lines, smashing arm recoveries, excessive lateral and vertical movements
    • Studies have shown that splashing arm recoveries will reduce swimmers speed 30% within 1/16 of a second upon entry. It will take nearly half an arm stroke to regain that lost velocity
      • When multiplied by several strokes per length, times several lengths, reduction in forward speed can be devastating
  3. Frictional Drag
    • Friction between swimmers’ bodies and the water molecules that compose the laminar flows
      • Shaving, good suits (small), caps, oil

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Decrease Drag

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Increase Propulsion

Pull, Push, or Deflect water backwards using Newton’s Third Law of Motion:

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“For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”

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Increase Stroke Length

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Increase Stroke Rate

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Backstroke

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Armstroke

  1. Entry and Roll
    1. Hand enters little finger first
    2. 10 & 2 position with palm facing out
    3. Body rolls towards the stroking arm approx. 45 degrees
  2. Catch
    • Flex wrists and sweep downward and outward leading with the fingertips
  3. Pull (or upsweep) - Backward, Upward, and Inward Press
    • Hand presses back and in with elbow flexed 90 degrees
    • Palm facing back
  4. Push (or downsweep) - Backward, Downward, and Inward Press
    • Hand presses backward and finishes below hip
    • Lead with elbow as you press back, down and in
  5. Release
  6. Recovery
    • Hand leaves water thumb first with palm turned in
    • Straight arm while traveling over the water
    • Keep shoulder out of water as long as possible

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Armstroke

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Armstroke

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eo SwimBetter

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Kick (Flutter)

  1. Upbeat
    1. Flexion at the hip and knee with feet plantar flexed and turned in slightly
    2. Push water backward and upward
  2. Downbeat (Recovery) - relaxed straight leg
  3. Types
    • 6-beat

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Timing of Arms/Body Position

Timing of Arms

  1. As one hand enters and makes the catch the other hand releases the water and starts the recovery

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Body Position

  1. Chin tucked slightly, head remains still
  2. Water passes under ears and over chest
  3. Proper lateral and horizontal alignment is critical
  4. Straight arms on recovery

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Backstroke Drills and Training

100 Backstroke

  • Breath control
  • Power
    • Racks, power towers, sox
  • Stroke rate
    • Tempo trainers
  • Turns
    • Practicing at race speed
  • Underwater kick counts

200 Backstroke

  • Aerobic
    • A2/Pink zone work
  • Drill work
    • Rotational drills
    • Single arm
  • Underwater kick counts
  • Race pace

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Links to Videos

Ryan Murphy Backstroke

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Regan Smith 100 Backstroke

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Ryan Lochte Backstroke

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Aaron Peirsol Backstroke