Front Crawl

Front Crawl

Front crawl is the fastest swimming stroke. It is also the most natural and the stroke of choice for swimming long distances. When performed properly it is very graceful.

When swimming front crawl the body is face down in the water and the arms are extended alternately in front of the head, pulling back with the hands just below the surface of the water. The legs kick up and down alternately in rhythm with the arms.

Arms
The arms are used alternately. At the end of each arm stroke the arm will be lying straight by the side of the body. The first movement is to lift the elbow, with the forearm hanging down, palm of the hand facing backwards. The hand is then moved forward just above the water, fingers pointing down, until the arm is fully extended with the hand just in the water ready to start the pull. This position is known as the 'catch'.

This is where many would-be crawl swimmers go wrong; they lift the hand first with the elbow low. This way of moving the hand to the catch puts tension into the arm, when it should be relaxed.

The pull is made with the hand just below the surface of the water, not more than 6" or so. When the arm gets to midpoint the pull becomes a push, as the hand remains palm to the rear.

Propulsion through the water is a continuous process, using first one arm then the other. There should be no rest period at end of stroke. Arms must move continuously without pause.

Legs
Legs are kicked up and down alternately in synchronisation with the arm stroke. This isn't difficult as it's more natural for arms and legs to move in time. Legs are kept relaxed as possible and the emphasis is on kicking down.

The crawl stroke is sometimes named after the number of total kick per one complete arm cycle. Thus we talk about a 2-beat crawl, a 4-beat crawl or the more common 6-beat crawl.

In recent years emphasis has been on using the legs as little as possible; just enough to maintain the body in a horizontal position. This applies mostly to longer distance races. The reason is that the muscles that power the legs are the largest in the body and consume a lot of oxygen when working hard. In tne front crawl the arms propel the swimmer more efficiently. The more oxygen that is used by the leg muscles means less oxygen is available for the arm muscles.

But a powerful leg kick can add speed to the front crawl for shorter races, say the 50 and 100 metres. This has to be determined for each swimmer. Serious swimmers will be seen apparently practicing their leg kick, holding a float out in front, kicking like mad, but in most cases it is more likely a form of fitness training, whether the swimmer realises it or not.

Breathing.
Racing front crawl cannot be performed with the head out of the water. The head must be down in the water to gain proper equilibrium of the body. The head is turned to one side or the other to take in air. It is usual to take a breath on every stroke, but in short races some swimmers may take only one breath or none at all; it all depends on individual physical makeup.

Most swimmers, during training at least, will have their best side to breath, either to left or right. Serious competing swimmers will be able to take at least the occasional breath on their less favoured side in order to check out opposing competitors. Some swimmers use the technique of breathing alternately each side. This is known as 'bilateral breathing' and can produce a beautifully balanced stroke.

Best breathing technique requires flexibility of the neck muscles, enabling the head to be turned without turning the body. Otherwise the action of breathing turns the body as well, leading to a rolling motion.

When the head is facing to the front the water level should be at eyebrow level. If we assume that the swimmer is breathing to the left then the head remains facing front until the right arm is seen to start its downward pull. Then the head is turned briskly to the left and air is taken in rapidly. The head should be kept low in the water and this is helped if the swimmer looks back a little over the left shoulder. As the left arm recovers, the head returns naturally to the front, the eyes following the left hand and the air is expelled through nose and mouth.

The action of the head is not smooth but is programmed into the stroke. It takes practice to get it right.

A common problem when first trying a correct breathing technique is in expelling the stale air before taking a fresh breath. When doing a training swim, experienced swimmers concentrate first on getting rid of air. It's easy to draw air in, harder to expel it. Soon the lungs are full of stale air with no room for fresh. Breathing should use the whole lung, not just the top part. You can practice this out of the water.

Relaxation
One of the hardest things to learn is how to relax one part of the body while expending energy elswhere but it is something that to be done by all aspiring swimmers. Any part of the body not being used at a given time must be resting. While one arm pulls strongly the other rests.

Exercises
Breathing - Arms straight out in front holding a float, head in the water between the arms. Use the crawl kick to move forward and practice breathing to right and left.

Stamina - as above with head up.

Arms - Holding float in one outstretched arm practice with the other arm. Then change arms.

Strength - Use paddles or gloves that fit to the hands to increase their area. This builds strength in the arms and is superior to dryland methods because it uses the same work-cycle and muscles used in normal swimming. These items can be bought in various sizes at top swim stores or on the Internet.

Flexibility - Stretching exercises - shoulder rotations - neck rolling.