Developing Personal Sport Performance In Swimming: Front Crawl Style - Essay Example

DEVELOPING PERSONAL SPORT PERFORMANCE IN SWIMMING (FRONT CRAWL) Section One Front crawl is an accepted style of swimming in the freestyle stroke competitions and is the fastest swimming stroke. It is also called the beginner’s stroke. Front crawl is done by alternating movements of arms as the body is kept parallel to the water with a slight slope downwards from the hip to the limbs. It is a long axis stroke, where the arms and legs get fully stretched. The alternating movement of the arms makes the hips and the body to roll sideways. The arms reach out to the water with the thumb first. The better the technique, the smoother is this action of catching the water. The body is propelled forward by the power stroke of one arm while the second recovers the energy loss by entering the water and making a sweep along the hips turning to the position of above the head and back into the water. The arm is fully stretched out to make a proper sport. The hand is inclined towards the thumb to make it enter first. It is like slicing through the water by making the least of splash. Gradually, as a front crawler achieves skills the stroke becomes powerful. Leg kicking goes on constantly during the stroke. We can begin anyway but ultimately the swimmer has to learn to keep the legs straight. Constant movement of the arms and the legs makes front crawl an efficient and a fast stroke. The waterline is between the eyebrows and the hairline. Proper streamlining of the body in water increases the speed. The flexibility offered to the arms, legs, head and torso with the cyclic propulsions make front crawl a very rhythmic, effective, and efficient stroke. Start: The start is made with arms stretched out fully forward. The swimmer glides for fifteen minutes and begins swimming with leg-kicking. Catch, Pull, Push and Recovery: The hand, with arm stretched out, with thumb first makes for the water—which is called the catch. Soon after catching the water the swimmer goes for pull. The pull goes in a semicircle pointing downwards and the elbow is at an elevated position. This is called the high-elbow in swimmer’s dictionary. The push takes the arm downwards to the side of the body. As the arm goes past the hip, the other arm gets thrown straight ahead in front of the swimmer. This is followed by recovery phase. In this phase, the elbow juts into the air and the arm makes a loose loop with hand dropping towards the water. This gives the all important rest and completes the cyclic motion. In this period, the shoulders, and the body to get a rotation about their axis. The cyclic propulsion of the body is differently named as Entry, Up Sweep, Down Sweep, and Recovery. Speed: The highest possible swimming speed is attained in front-crawl. Breathing: Mastery of breathing process is the most essential part of a swimmer’s routine. The swimmer has to turn his head gently to get a breath. The head has to be turned with the alternating movements of the arms with head and nose moving away from the surface of water to take in breath of air. In fact, controlling the breathing process is one of the toughest parts of front crawl. In advanced stages, synchronization has to be achieved in the front crawl between the movement of head and breathing. The head is moved only when we require breathing. It is turned to inhale air at the exact movement when body propelled forward movement creates a trough like space in water. The breathing so done enables time for a single breath for the swimmer per cycle. A swimmer shouldn’t hold his breath. He has to either exhale or inhale. Exhaling and inhaling has to be so tuned with the motion of the head that when you exhale the head is below water and when you inhale it is above water. Flutter Kick: The flutter kick is the movement of the legs upwards and downwards. The function of the flutter kick is to streamline the body like the fish. The kick movement is a regulated affair. The knee should not bend much in the forward movement and the kick backwards should not make the foot stick outwards. Beginners begin with making 2 kicks per cycle and proficient swimming demands six per cycle. The upward and downward kicking helps the body to remain in a horizontal position. Leg kicking also helps to maintain the line of the body. The toes and muscles are kept relaxed or else it leads to development of a cramp in the arch of the foot. Tumble Turn: Like any stroke the swimmer has to efficiently turn back after reaching the wall. With knees tucked up the swimmer makes a somersault that leads to touching of the feet to the wall and the swimmer turning back. The tumble turn again leads to a glide of about 10mts. Positioning of Eyes: Eyes are focussed straight ahead and a little downwards like a car on a low beam. Body Position: It is horizontal to water with a slight slope downwards from the hip to the feet. This is specifically to keep the feet in the water during kicking. Recovery: Unlike other strokes here the recovery happens above the water and it reduces drag. Section Two. Endurance and technique play an equal role in making of a perfect front crawler. In the beginning of the programme, I was bereft of both. I could not make a synchronized movement of the head, arms, body, and legs—all so important for a front crawler. Start: I could make a quality start with legs stretched out and gliding for a few metres. It being satisfactory, I didn’t practice ‘making starts’ as avidly as I did in other departments. Catch, Pull, Push, and Recovery: Theoretically, I understood the entire cycle but doing it with precision in the pool required hours and hours of practice. Front crawl really puts a lot of stress on the shoulders. Strong shoulder muscles were helpful in the effort. I made a heavy weather of the catch with my hands splashing hard on the water and it was quite a heavy tough job to incline it at the required at 45degrees. Breathing: Having good lung power, holding the breath was not a hard job. But that is not the done thing in front crawl. I had to synchronise it with the movement of head and stroke cycle. It was an extremely tough call. Body Positioning: I could hold the body horizontal for a while but to maintain the position needed a lot of practice. I could make all the necessary movements from kicking to breathing. I could also make powerful front crawl strokes with the arms but during the recovery phase my arm movement is not proper. Arms are not fully extended during pull or pushes. And due to non proper inhalation I gather water in my mouth. This is lack of practice. I could not relax the arm during the recovery. Without relaxation the body drag increases leading to consequent muscle effort. The kicking too is also not proper and there is a lot of confusion. However I have learned to keep the leg straight. Turning: Turning was my grey area as I couldn’t truly time tumble turn and legs sometime missed the wall. I had a lurking fear of injury that made this area prone to mistakes it was a mental block. Section 3 Every time I went into the swimming pool, I realised my grey areas more and more. But it is very important that we stay focussed on elimination of our deficiencies while exploiting the strengths to the maximum. It is pertinent to remember that deficiencies decrease has to be handled one at a time. In order to attain perfection in front crawling an individual has to draw out a long strategy of training. There are drills, points, exercises both to be done in the swimming pool and out of the swimming pool to become a successful front crawler. Some of the more Important Aspects that I incorporated in my regimen are enumerated below. Technical: On the technical front, I concentrated upon improving the Cyclic Motion of Catch, Pull, and Push and Recovery, which forms the backbone of front crawl swimming technique. One of the easiest ways to begin training is on land. Stand straight on the deck of the swimming pool. Now bend straight making a ninety degree angle at the waist between legs and the upper part of the body. Now extend the arms totally in line with the shoulders. Keeping the elbow at an angle (ideally 45 degrees) make a sweep of one arm towards the leg. Now pull the arm back to the original position and repeat the exercise with the second arm. This exercise can be done before the swim. The second most essential dry exercise for a front crawler is the shoulder shrug. The arms should relax sideways and the shoulders should be shrugged. First it should be done in unison and then alternatively between the shoulders. Then again begin by making strong shoulder shrugs. Shrugs impart briskness and strength to the shoulder joint that bear most of the brunt of fatigue of a shoulder. Tactical: From the tactical point of view, I believe breathing holds the greatest importance. Swimming is an aerobic exercise i.e. the muscles need constant supply of oxygen during this activity. An ideal swimmer would know when to exhale and inhale, taking in requisite amount of exercise, without hampering the physical movement, and making a powerful stroke. From a pure technical point of view proper breathing rules in front crawl can only be objectively mastered once a person is thorough with the rules of motion. However, I started practising proper breathing sessions during initial training itself for an enhanced competitiveness. Whether one inhales or exhales the lungs should always be in motion. The golden rule to be remembered in this is to ‘inhale quickly’ and ‘exhale faster.’ While breathing head shouldn’t be lifted. I noticed that the movement I lifted my head; it affected the body positioning thus increasing the drag. The inhalation process is aided by opening full mouth—jaws wide. A small amount of water that got in was spat out. Ultimately I aimed at bilateral breathing and could do it at times. This means to breathe by movement of head towards both sides. Out of the pool, I regularly practised deep breathing exercises. They give strength to the lungs that have to perform hard under the pressures of swimming. Fitness: I couldn’t always be in water to stay fit. No one will want it this way. Jogging and making sprints increase the fitness levels of a swimmer. One good exercise out of the pool is cycling. I went on a cycling expedition once in a week. It made my thigh muscles stronger and helped to achieve proper bends in the bends in the knees. I dispensed eating junk food and started taking normal, high protein, high fibre diet cooked in ideal circumstances. Psychological No battle or game is won without imbibing proper positive attitude in a soldier or a sportsman. A sportsman always has to think positive. He has to become an epicentre of motivational energy. It is a constant and Herculean effort. “I can do it” “I can do it” –I would repeat this phrase before taking up the toughest drill. Though I didn’t practise it, I read some meditation tips too helps. The Training Programme My training programme essentially is made up of five days a week, two hours a day routine. This includes half an hour of deck drills and water drills. Intermittently I had jogging, biking and brisk walking sessions. Come what may I adhered to my practice schedule. I often interchanged various drills with one another thus ensuring that the muscles learn to perform in coherence with each other. Dry Drills: 1. Cross-country leg: Stand with feet a foot apart. Now jump and come down with one the feet ahead and another backwards from your lateral line of symmetry. Now jump and switch the position of the feet. 2. Swinging: This is one of the most important exercises for a swimmer as it enhances the power of the flutter kick. It is to move one of the legs forward and backwards like a pendulum. Then switch to the next leg. In the beginning, I could do it very slowly but later I increased pace. 3. Amphibian Drill: Sit on the edge of the swimming pool. Lean back and make flutter kicks in water. Water Drills 1. Flutter kick water drill is done by holding onto the side of the pool. It is one of the most favoured drills of mine. Because it was easier than others and psychologically too the mind is prone to easier things. In the later stage I tried practicing flutter kick holding onto two milk jugs in both the hands. The handles of the milk jugs here, as well as elsewhere should not be clutched tightly. 2, Front Crawl Arm Pull Drills: This drill helped me improve my pull. I practised one arm at a time holding onto a milk jug with the other arm at a time. It helped me to properly imbibe the technique and flair of front crawl stroke. The more you do it the better will be the sweep. 3. Gliding Drill: This drill helped me in achieving the horizontal position. The swimmer pushes himself away wall of the pool with arms stretched out forward. Effort should be made to maintain the horizontal position of the body as far as possible. This drill can also be done with a floatation device but I never did it. 4 Pigeon Toe Drill: This is done with aid of a fellow swimmer. I sat on the edge of the pool while my friend held on to my feet (pigeon toed) i.e. slightly bent inwards. I kicked from the hip trying to make a splash. Later this drill helped me in maintenance of the horizontal body posture while swimming. 5. Dartfish Drill: I did this drill to improve the stroke. It is basically to wade in shallow water while making the free stroke arm action. Doing it for five minutes in routing increases the stroke action immensely. 6. Front Crawl Streamline Drill: In this drill I kicked underwater to a maximum of five while gliding away from the wall. Starting from seven metres, I could go up to twelve metres. 7. Front Crawl Bilateral Breathing Drill: This is the ideal drill to make a perfect front crawl swimmer. If done properly and by breathing towards both sides of the right of the stroke and then to the left of the stroke can decrease the breathing frequency rapidly. I tried it and at times could limit by breathing to one per two strokes. Besides, this regimen of practice, I put in at least one hour of swimming. Everyday I made and effort to swim a few more and decrease the number of strokes I made. It is extremely tough to decrease strokes but regular kicking drills do aid in decreasing the strokes. The strokes are inversely related to the power you exercise while propulsion. I wore zoomers to decrease my stroke count. By now, I have swum ….metres with a timing of….Though most of my swimming schedules were not timed but I think I have evolved as a swimmer in my own right by following a particular schedule. I have realized that nothing, no drill, no float aided exercise; no amount of use of equipment improves swimming better than swimming itself. Section Five By now, I realize that I am different from what I was before beginning this training programme. I have been initiated into the aquatic world where precision, speed, and strength have no boundaries. I may not have attained a landmark achievement but I am now fully acquainted with the nuances of the front crawl sport. I know how important the propulsive kick is for maintenance of speed as proper breathing for maintenance of streamlining. How a little raise of the head affects the cramp in the toe? How important it is to maintain momentum while swimming? How the touching of the thumb to water can make a difference in the energy you spend? How the number of kicks help to generate a slower stroke count. I know how lateral rotations of the body are important for attainment of speed. I have been initiated into a realm where perfection means tuning of the myriad bones and muscles of the human body to perform as one entity. Swimming is an art and an endurance test put into one. Section Six References 1. Front crawl – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http//: www. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_crawl - 32k 2. BBC Sport Academy | Swimming | Skills | Work on your front crawl http//:www. news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/ a/swimming/skills/newsid_2093000/2093291.stm 3. Front Crawl Drills http//:wellness.lattc.edu/aquatics/fc.drills.html 4. swimfit.com - swimfit news story: Mastering front crawl http//:www.swimfit.com/article.asp?ArticleID=51 - 12k Read More