Freestyle Swimming Stroke Tips
- Start in "11" position with the arms extended overhead, parallel to each other; it looks like the number 11.
- The hands should be flat, facing the bottom of the pool.
- Float in that position, suck in the stomach to tighten the muscles which helps hold a good straight body position.
- Flutter kick from the hips while maintaining the "11" position with the head in a neutral position, eyes looking down at the bottom of the pool.
- Pull one hand down and around and back to the "11" position then do the same with the other arm.
- After practicing alternating one arm at a time, begin to practice starting the second arm before the first arm is all the way back into the "11" position and watch what happens.
- It is always OK to go back a few steps, practice that step, then move forward again.
Breaststroke Swimming Stroke Tips
- Start in a prone, floating position, the "Missile" position, thumbs locked together, arms/biceps squeezing against the ears.
- Float in that position, suck in the stomach to tighten the muscles which helps hold a good straight body position.
- Learn the breaststroke kick on land first, then while holding the wall, then in the "Missile" position.
- The word cues to use for the breaststroke kick are:
- Squeeze - legs extended and squeezed together
- Suit - bring the heels up to the swim suit
- Flex - turn the feet toes out, heels in
- Circle - move the feet in a circle
- Squeeze - return to the start position, legs extended and squeezed together
- Learn the breaststroke pull on land first, then move into the water; don't try to add the kick in until much, much later.
- The word cues for the breaststroke pull are:
- I - arms extended overhead, hands pitched slightly out, a long, straight position form toes to fingertips
- Y - press the arms out so the body looks like the a "Y"
- Scoop - an inward sculling action, up and in toward the eyes
- Shoot - throw the hands forward through the hair, moving back into the "I" position
- After both a good kick and a good pull can be done, the two parts are joined together - sort of - by using a separation drill. Do one pull (I - Y - Scoop - Shoot) then one kick (Squeeze - Suit - Flex - Circle - Squeeze).
- Do a few of these cycles in a row, no breathing, just separated pulling and kicking.
- Once the pull and the kick are in-place, then the breathing comes into play, with the breath coming in at the "Scoop" position.
Butterfly Swimming Stroke Tips
- Butterfly starts with a prone, floating position almost like the freestyle "11" but the arms are slightly wider.
- Once the body position is good, the pull is taught with the words "Diamond" - "Angel" - "Swing" - Straight" done with the body on top of the water - no dolphin motions, just the prone float and the pull.
- Now comes the body dolphin, first with the arms and hands along the side of the body, with the head first; then with the arms in front. The motion is kept small, no over-emphasis on up and down/serpentine motions; the hips go up and down, but never drop too deep or rise too high.
- Next, put the float, the arms, and the body motion together. Start in the float position, then "Pull" - "Swing" - "Diamond" - "Angel" - "Float" and as the hands enter the water at the start of the float, the hips go up and then back down. Repeat!
- A second way to put the stroke together is to do the float, then the hips up and down, then the pull, then repeat.
- Breathing comes along next, with the breath starting as the pull starts, moving the top of the head out and then back in to the water.
- You can do one arm fly or whole stroke through the progression.
Reference
Haufler, Steve. "My Bag of Tricks." ASCA Newsletter 2009-04: 1-10.