For parsing hand movement techniques it is convenient to divide the entire cycle into separate phases.
Crawl Dissolve... The figure shows a cyclogram of hand movements during crawl swimming, built in relation to a fixed scale. The hand travels the distance between the points in equal intervals of time, amounting to about 0.1 sec. Dissolve is performed between 1 and 3 points.

The entrance of the hand into the water and the influx when swimming with a crawl... If we consider the movement of the hand in relation to the shoulder joint, then immediately after straightening, movement in an arc from front to bottom and back is observed. However, knowing that the efficiency of the stroke depends on the interaction of the hand with the water, it is necessary to take into account the speed of the athlete's forward movement. In this case, the brush will move along the path shown on the cyclogram. This means that the arm does not create forces that propel the swimmer forward during the run, and therefore it is necessary that it assumes a streamlined position.

During influx the indicators are extended along the arm along the streamline. Towards the end of the influx, they slightly deviate with their free ends upward due to an increase in the vertical speed of the hand. The influx is 10-25% of the time of the entire cycle and depends on the swimming speed and the individual characteristics of the athletes' technique. With an increase in swimming speed, the duration of the influx is usually halved - from about 25 to 10%. Currently, due to the general tendency to increase the pace of swimming, the influx of many athletes is reduced to a minimum, even at relatively low speeds.

Cyclogram of the stroke when swimming in crawl

The supporting part of the stroke when swimming in crawl... From the moment when the vertical speed of movement exceeds the speed of forward movement of the hand, the supporting part of the stroke begins. The hand and forearm interact with water in such a way that the attached indicators unfold upward and at the end of the support reach a vertical position. Since the arm is located at an angle to the direction of movement and has a vertical speed (when the horizontal falls, directed against the stream to zero), forces appear that propel the swimmer forward. The duration of the supporting part, depending on the chosen variant of the stroke technique and the swimming speed, fluctuates within 10-20% by the time of the entire cycle. With an increase in speed, the support part, as well as the influx, decreases.

Reduction support part is one of the features modern technology crawl. Moreover, during this phase, mainly vertical forces develop, which are not particularly necessary, since the athlete's body is held at the surface by the oncoming flowing stream.

Hand movements during crawl swimming (front view)

Main part stroke when crawling. The main part of the stroke begins from the moment when the horizontal speed of the arm movement backward exceeds the speed of the forward movement of the swimmer. On the cyclogram, which records the movement of the swimmer in relation to the stationary scale, the beginning of the main part can be traced by the beginning of the movement of the hand backward. The interaction of the hand with the flowing stream of water can be judged by the indicators. With the beginning of the main part of the stroke, the indicators on the hand and forearm turn forward.

Indicators show that hand gives a certain mass of water movement from front to back, thereby creating the necessary impulse of forces that propel the swimmer forward. However, as noted in the Basics of Swimming Technique chapter, not the entire arm creates propelling forces. While the indicators on the hand and forearm are actively located, the brushes on the upper part of the shoulder, on the contrary, turn their ends backward, showing the inhibition of this part of the hand. The neutral point is in the middle of the shoulder. Below this point, the rowing surface overtakes the flowing stream and creates propelling forces, above it moves more slowly than the stream and causes braking.
However, it is necessary to have in mind that the hand in relation to the shoulder joint moves in an arc backward. On the cyclogram, you can trace the movement of the hand and elbow backward, and the shoulder forward.

Crawl swimming technique (side view)

The resultant of all elementary forces pushing the swimmer forward, is attached approximately near the top of the palm. It is necessary that during the main part of the stroke the hand is positioned so that the wrist is as close as possible to the longitudinal plane of the body. In this case, the force of the stroke will be applied in the best possible way without creating unnecessary moments that turn the swimmer's body to the sides.

Main part stroke performed bent arm... Flexion of the arm is mainly due to the following reasons. First, the main muscles that create the forces for moving the arm during the stroke ( broad back, large round, etc.), are attached to humerus at the very head of the shoulder joint. Flexion of the arm will decrease the resistance lever of the stroke, i.e. will reduce the distance from the place of application of the resultant of elementary pressure forces at the wrist to the shoulder joint. This is very significant, since the muscle traction lever in relation to the shoulder joint is small.
Secondly, if you execute straight arm stroke, then the swimmer in the first half of the stroke will raise himself, and in the second half he will lower himself.

Pressure on the wrist when crawling

On the image given oscilloscope recording of pressure from an electromagnometer installed in the palm of the hand during the movements of the hands during the crawl. After moving hands above the water, which is about 0.6 seconds at a slow speed, and at maximum speed-0.5 sec., The inflow and the supporting part of the stroke are performed, during which the pressure gradually begins to increase. At a speed of 80% of the maximum, the influx and support take 0.6 seconds, and at maximum speed - 0.4 seconds. The greatest pressure is observed during the main part of the stroke, which usually changes little depending on the speed and takes about 0.35-0.5 seconds.

From correct hand movement in the main part of the stroke, the efficiency of the swimming technique and the speed of forward movement primarily depend. However, it is in this part of the stroke that errors are often observed that at first glance are difficult to recognize. These errors are associated with slowing down the movement of the hand during the stroke or with the execution of zigzag movements.

Errors lead to a decrease in the effectiveness of hand strokes. Their essence lies in the fact that the pressure on the rowing surface of the hands falls. During zigzag movements, the hand seems to slide obliquely in relation to the flowing stream. The reasons for such an error are that during the stroke, the arm moves from one working plane to another, or the swimmer seeks, due to zigzag movements of the arm, to find additional support for turning the head when inhaling. With an increase in swimming speed, in some cases, the sliding of the hand obliquely to the stream decreases and the pressure of the hand on the water becomes more stable. In general, the stroke is performed as if at two rates.

The mistake is slowing down hand movements during the stroke when the pressure of the hand on the water drops, despite the fact that the hand moves backward and, in general, its speed is higher than the speed of the flowing stream. This is the result of the fact that the hand moves at a speed less than or equal to the speed of the water, which was set in motion by it for more early stage stroke.

Such stroke can also occur as a result of late flexion of the arm. The swimmer performs the first part of the stroke with a straight or nearly straight arm. It is unprofitable and inconvenient to perform the second half of the stroke with a straight arm, and the athlete, bending his arm back with his elbow, tries to take off. In this case, the horizontal speed decreases, and the vertical speed increases. The water carried away by the hand, which had previously acquired a high speed, catches up with the rowing surface of the hand and forearm. Studies have shown that the pressure drops at this moment, the indicators sag, therefore, the efficiency of the movement decreases. The effective part of such a stroke is usually 0.2-0.3 sec.

Hand coming out of the water while crawl swimming... The main part of the stroke usually ends at the pelvic line, since by the end of the stroke the hand can develop the necessary horizontal speed due to rotation in the shoulder and extension in the elbow, i.e., due to significantly limited movements. In the phase of the hand coming out of the water, the shoulder is shown first, then the forearm and hand. Stroke force recordings using electric tensomanometers during crawl swimming show that the pressure on the rowing surface usually drops immediately at the end of the main part of the stroke, at the pelvic line. Such a rapid drop in pressure at the end of the stroke can be seen on the displayed oscillogram.

Swimmer after completion effective part of the stroke should immediately and with minimal resistance to bring the hand to the surface. Holding the arm after the main part of the stroke leads to a drop in swimming pace and speed. Skilled swimmers spend about 0.15 seconds taking their hands out of the water at a slow pace, which is about 10% by the time of the entire cycle. With an increase in speed to the maximum, this phase is performed in 0.1 sec. and less.

The rowing row is a cyclical movement. During the stroke, there is a rhythmic alternation of tension and relaxation. For good rowers, the ratio between push (stress phase) and idle (relaxation phase) is 1: 1.2-1: 1.6.

Perfect execution of a full stroke requires years of training. At the same time, the main technique pretty easy to learn.

The methods of double rowing and swing rowing differ little from each other.

As links of one chain, one stroke after another continuously follows, there should not be a pause between them. The working phase of the stroke begins with the capture. During the drive, the boat propels forward under the blade pressure. The blade moves towards the stern, the rower drives off on the bank (movable seat) towards the bow of the boat.

With the removal of the blade from the water and the beginning of its movement in the opposite direction, the phase of rest-entrance begins. The rower, relaxing, drives off towards the stern and takes starting position... Smooth transitions have great importance so that the process of performing the strokes was smooth, harmonious.

They significantly affect the speed of the boat, which inevitably undergoes fluctuations within the stroke cycle, depending on the thrust generated during the rowing process. The length of the path and the force of the pressure of the blade on the water are decisive for the efficiency of the stroke. During the drive, the blade moves in a natural position parallel to the water surface.

Should be given great attention the position of the inner lever in order to prevent the oar blade from coming out of the water in the stroke phase, which occurs as a result of premature lowering. This is identical to the disappearance of the force influencing the forward movement.

The inner arm should not be raised too high or lowered too low. On a skid, the blade, as well as during immersion, should be in an upright position. To reduce aerodynamic drag and not touch the water surface, the blade is turned at the entrance.

Physical labor

The physical work of the rower must be given great attention. However, there are no strictly defined postures of the rower; all his movements must be absolutely natural. In the first phase of the stroke, the rower's body, legs and arms are prepared for the beginning of the cycle.

In the middle, when the oars are in a transverse position (vertical to the boat), the maximum force should be applied to the stroke. In the final part of the drive, the rower's body deviates slightly from the vertical axis, all attention is focused on the correct and "clean" oar lift.

This phase is called the end of the wiring, or finish. It should be noted that the stroke to the end is carried out smoothly with a gradual increase in pressure. The stroke technique is characterized by a steady increase in pressure and stroke length. The next soft and relaxed backward motion of the blade immediately follows requires the most careful training.

On the chest it helps the swimmer to move forward. Rowing in a fret should be done in a curved path, as shown in the figure, and not exactly straight back. And also the angle of attack of the hand relative to the movement of the body must constantly change - this provides maximum lifting force for moving forward.

Crawl technique

When inserting and gripping water with the hand, the elbow is above the hand. Further, the angle of flexion of the arm in elbow joint, in the middle of the stroke, becomes maximum, approximately 90 °. After entering the water, the hand performs a short stroke downward and outward shoulder-width apart, then moves straight back, then powerfully accelerates along a curvilinear trajectory until the end of the stroke. This acceleration is playing important role in moving forward during the stroke. At the moment of acceleration of the movement of the hand of one hand, the other slides forward and prepares to grip at a much lower speed, because it must subtly and accurately "cut" the stream of water. If the initial phase of the stroke is performed faster, then the created "amount" of movement and the effect of translational movement will be leveled. Fine coordination of hand movements is associated with unhurried insertion of one hand into the water and a significant acceleration of the movement of the other at the end of the stroke. The body rotates equally in both directions around the longitudinal axis of the body.

Crawl pace and stride (Frequency and length)

The frequency and length of the crawl stroke determine the swimming speed. High class swimmers perform fast and long strokes. It used to be thought that a high pace was necessary to achieve high speed, but Louis de B. Hendley (1928) showed that a high stroke rate does not always contribute to swimming speed. Even more than 70 years ago, the famous Johnny Weismüller performed fewer strokes at a competitive distance than his competitors. His trainer, William Bahrak, reasonably believed that infrequent strokes provide a more powerful take-off. And Weismüller himself noted that the secret of combining a low stroke rate with a high swimming speed is that a slightly slower start of the stroke allows you to gradually increase its power.

The swimming speed of men is higher than that of women, precisely due to longer length strokes, and their stroke rate is almost the same (Craig, Pendergast, 1979; Pai et al., 1984).

The transition of one stroke to the beginning of another

The transition from the end of one stroke to the beginning of another is very important. Smooth alternating changes in body position in accordance with the coordination of strokes provide minimal resistance to movement. At this point, the swimmer must control the degree of rotation of the torso, the position of the arm and the speed of its advance, in order to ensure a smooth and gradual lateral tilt (roll).

Hand position at the time of insertion

The position of the hand at the time of insertion when crawling on the chest is very important from the point of view of streamlining. When crawling on the chest, the hand enters the water smoothly and divides the streams of water, thereby reducing drag by diverting them from the swimmer's head and shoulders.

In swimming technique - the main source of pulling force is the arm stroke. At the same time, the traction force differs depending on the skill level of the athlete himself.

Phases included in the arm movement cycle:

—support (capture of the water surface)... The arm makes a supporting, sufficiently powerful movement forward and downward with a bend at the elbow and a quick transition to the position that is necessary for the main stage of the stroke. The support phase should be completed with a relatively rigid fixation of the joints and holding the elbow over the hand;

— main body (pull-up and push-off)... It is carried out by adduction and extension of the shoulder, at this time the arms also bend and unbend in the elbow region. This stage involves the creation of the main thrust, which helps to move forward. To implement the main stage of the stroke, it is necessary to bend the arm at an angle of 90-100 °, while the hand movement is performed under the longitudinal axis of the body. At the moment when the stroke is performed, you need to close your fingers and open your palm. First stage stroke: the elbow is directed to the side and slightly back. Then the hand should be turned back at the elbow. End: repulsive movements from the water plane are performed with the use of the hand and forearm. This stage ends in the pelvic region;

—exit of the upper limb from the water plane. The movement should coincide with the tilt to the other side. The elbow comes out above the water, then a hand emerging from the water in the area of ​​the thigh behind the pelvis;

— moving with one hand over the water surface or carrying should be performed at the same time with the stroke of the other upper limb. Bent at the elbow, the relaxed arm sweeps quickly and the movement accelerates before entering the depths of the water. The palm is directed back and slightly upward at the start of the sweep;

— the entry of the hand into the water plane and the influx. The hand is directed forward and downward. The horizontal speed must be higher than the vertical speed. The entrance to the water plane is made where there is an imaginary point between the parallel through shoulder joint and the longitudinal axis of the body. Entry into the water is made with a brush, an acute angle is observed. The arm at this moment is still bent and straightens only with an influx. First, the hand enters, then the forearm and shoulder. Next, the relaxed arm should be extended forward. Expand the hand vertically to the direction of movement at the end of the influx, bend the arm in the region of the elbow joint.

The chest crawl swimming is the fastest of all swimming styles. One of the most popular styles among swimmers, from those who like to swim for fun, to athletes participating in professional competitions. The crawl swimming technique on the chest involves performing wide strokes alternately with both hands, the head is submerged in water, in order to inhale it turns to the side during one of the strokes, the legs move in a vertical plane, giving additional horizontal acceleration while cutting through the water.

Since the crawl is the fastest swimming style, in freestyle swimming, athletes swim in this way. The crawl is not the easiest type of swimming for beginners and to master it on your own you will need to make some effort. If you are just starting out, you should master the simpler ones first. Varieties are perfect for this.

Crawl swimming technique for beginners

To learn how to crawl properly, consider correct position body and features of technology.

Body position

For crawl swimming, you need to strive to ensure that your body is as horizontal as possible. The angle that forms between the longitudinal axis of your body and the horizontal is called the angle of attack. The closer this angle is to the horizontal, the better the streamlining of the swimmer's body. The slowdown caused by the water resistance is lower, thanks to this you can develop more speed. In the crawl, the value of the angle of attack is the smallest among all other swimming styles, depending on the speed and features of the body structure, it can vary from 0 to 10 degrees. The smallest angle of attack is achieved due to the higher speed and correct stroke technique.

During movement, the shoulders should be higher than the hips, which will facilitate the movement of the arms when leaving the water and carrying it for a stroke, also when performing a repulsive movement, this makes it possible to actively work the muscles of the body. The feet should be deep enough to allow effective kicks with the feet. The position of the head in the crawl is free, the neck practically does not strain, at the moment when it is necessary to take a breath, a movement of the head is made to the side.

Features of stroke performance

Striking efficiently is the most important task for developing and maintaining speed. The movements of the hands create a pulling force, first of all, the magnitude of the pulling force depends on how technically the movements of the hand are performed correctly and how correctly it is positioned during swimming. The task of working with a brush is to create a constant support against the water in order to get maximum acceleration when making a stroke.

Making a supporting movement, the arm is bent, forming an angle of about 130 degrees between the shoulder and the forearm, after the entry phase, the arm moves forward and slightly downward, water is captured. the main task grip - maintaining the torso in a position closest to horizontal, and getting the most comfortable position for the next phase of the stroke - pull-ups.

The main phases of swimming crawl on the chest

To understand how to properly crawl, consider the main phases of movement.

Pull-up

In the pull-up phase, you lean on the water in a vertical plane. During the pull-up, quite often, they perform an advanced movement with the hand and forearm, leading them back.

In the course of the pull-up, the hand and forearm gradually align, and at a certain stage they occupy an almost vertical position, in this position, the movement of the hand begins to give the swimmer an acceleration in the horizontal plane. When the arm is under the elbow, the arm is aligned in an upright position, the pull-up phase is replaced by the push-off phase.

Repulsion

The take-off phase allows you to increase the speed to the maximum. In the first part of the take-off, before crossing the vertical, the acceleration created by the movement of the hand continues to increase. In the final stage of repulsion, the hand moves back and up, due to this, a sinking force arises. The moment any part of the hand is shown above the water, the repulsion phase ends.

Getting your hands out of the water

After the end of the repulsion phase, the exit phase begins. In this phase, you raise your hand out of the water to further carry it for the next stroke. The exit phase ends as soon as the hand is fully lifted out of the water.

Carried over water

The technical implementation of the carry-over phase depends on the position in which the hand exited the water. In what position the hand came out of the water in this position and should be carried. The hand at the beginning of the sweep is directed backward, and slightly upward. Gradually accelerating the movement of the hand, the hand is directed to the next phase - the entry of the hand into the water.

Hands entering the water

Technically correct entry of the hand into the water is one of the essential elements preparatory movement. The place where the arm should enter should be located in front approximately between the head and shoulder. The brush enters the water at a sharp angle without hitting the surface of the water. When immersed in water, it is necessary to adhere to the following sequence - first the hand is immersed, then the forearm, and last but not least, the shoulder.

Leg movement while swimming

When crawling, the legs make alternating up and down movements. Leg movements can be divided into two phases - preparatory and shock. In the preparatory movement, most of the muscles are relaxed, the leg is straightened until it reaches a horizontal position. After that, the foot begins to move down, the knee moves down. After the foot is at or above the water surface, the shock phase begins.

The shock phase is aimed at developing lift, creating and maintaining a driving force. In the shock phase, the lower leg moves down, at the beginning of the movement, the foot looks toe inward, the thigh continues to move downward, gradually bending at the knee, in the final stage the thigh moves upward, the foot bends toe out. The number of kicks per cycle of two arm strokes is usually two, four or six. For beginners, we recommend using the six-beat crawl, as this technique is easier to learn. The double-hitting crawl is usually used for long distances.

Breathing in a crawl

Understanding how to breathe properly while swimming is very important to maintain your pace of movement. Breathing during crawl swimming should be performed correctly with a slight inhalation delay, this enables the body to be better saturated with oxygen. Breathe in towards the arm, which is currently completing the repulsive phase. The inhalation ends after the same hand begins to leave the water. Turning the head should be performed smoothly, without sudden movements. How many cycles to do before inhaling primarily depends on the length of the distance. For long distances, as a rule, there are 2-3 cycles per breath, for short ones - one breath per cycle.

Conclusion

Now you know the features of crawl swimming and you can safely start training in the pool. If training in water is difficult, you can try doing exercises on land to understand the peculiarities of movements without being distracted by breathing and supporting the body in a horizontal position. The next step in comprehending the art of swimming will be. It will allow you not to slow down while swimming, but will add spectacularity and speed to the implementation of this element.