Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Understanding how a fluid(s) work in motion, and resistance to, an object occupying its space. Required for all to understand (if subconsciously) to generate propulsion in said fluid.

The resistance a fluid has to being pushed aside and works parallel to the flow direction. . Paired with Newton’s law, “when a swimmer pushes back on the water with their limbs, the surface area of the limbs will be subjected to …[the same opposing force]…. but the resistive force in return moves the swimmer forward.” Can also impede a swimmer if opposing force blocks forward progress (ex. see human stroke versus a freestyle stroke, the resistive force on the shoulders and chest impedes the swimmer’s forward movement).

The force that acts perpendicular to the flow direction. Two factors that are required for lift are 1 ) the angle of attack in the limbs and 2) a pressure imbalance where the bottom of the limb should have a higher pressure than above the limb. Consider the wings of an airplane during and after takeoff.

A person’s sense of their body and its movement/orientation. For a swimmer, their ability to feel and ‘hold the water with a limb and press against the resistive forces of the fluid to create forward propulsion.

A person’s sense of their body and its movement/orientation without seeing it. For a swimmer, their ability to feel and hold the correct form throughout pressing back against the resistive force.

A movement in the hands that “teaches swimmers the sensation of moving forward via lift force.” As the hands press outward, drag is produced, and as the hands come in towards each other, lift and forward propulsion are produced. Sculling can be done for vertical lift, horizontal lift, and propulsion forwards, backwards, and sideways.

A necessity in stroke development and used during competitive swimming. Streamline reduces resistance, “allowing a swimmer to take advantage of the propulsion generated by the legs,” and trains the muscles to be flexible, toned, and increases their range of motion for correct pulling mechanics. A strong streamline also trains correct body position for dives and gliding before breakouts.

The process which a swimmer generates propulsion via their arms. The pull cycle includes the catch, a press back, a finish, and a recovery phase. The arm action may be simultaneous with each other or an alternating pattern. For a pull, the swimmer takes a curvilinear path, “allowing the swimmer to navigate away from moving water and onto an adjacent plane of ‘still’ water where force is more effective” and allows the swimmer to apply force to a greater distance because “the hand/arm travels a longer path through the water than it would taking a straight path back.”

 The first part of the pull phase. The swimmer has “positioned their hands/arms back in the water to utilize lift and drag force in a forward-facing manner.” To perform the catch, the swimmer first medially rotates their upper arm (i.e. the elbow turns upward), then sweeps their upper arm(s) out to shoulder-width, which does not cause any shoulder strain or irritation. Lastly, the hand and forearm begin to press down and back while the arm gradually bends at the elbow, preparing for a high-elbow press back.

After the catch, the swimmer’s arm (from their hand to their upper arm) places force backwards against the water while finding an adjacent plane of still water. The upper and lower arms are at 45 degrees to the water’s surface, while the elbow is bent at 90 degrees.

This position is the strongest mechanically for a swimmer to send themselves forward or backward 

The finish gives the swimmer’s hand/arm to lengthen the stroke path to its fullest extent before the recovery phase.

Each stroke’s finish phase is different.

To maintain a strong shoulder and reduce the likelihood of injury, a swimmer recovers their arm in a high-elbow position. While the lower lever (forearm and hand) position can be at varying degrees, the elbow should reach to the ceiling and the scapula and chest should rotate laterally to allow the arm to reset past the swimmer’s head.

Body rotation is to place the swimmer’s pull in a mechanically sound position. Body rotation does not provide propulsion itself; it rather supplements the arm to conduct the pull without placing full stressors on the shoulder joint. The rotation includes the core and hips, moving on an axis to reduce drag and help the body “move in rhythm with the movement of the stroke” via undulation in Breaststroke and Butterfly, and a tilting action in Freestyle and Backstroke.

An alternating kick into the water with the main goal to lift the hips and lower body to the water’s surface, and create propulsion. Main mechanics of a flutter kick include: having the leg in a back-facing position, which can press down and back on the water for Freestyle (up and back for Backstroke) to send the swimmer forward.

To initiate the kick, the leg must bend at the knee and, starting from hip flexion (“pressing the thigh down slightly”), drive the momentum throughout the leg onto the water’s resistive force. The kick ends below hip level, “but not excessively deep” to reduce recovery time. Lastly, the leg straightens up, and the hip reverts to a neutral position. During the kick, the feet are flexed to press back on the water, and a swimmer’s feet will turn in for a better position in time for this press back, known as a pideon-toed position.

A kick with the legs zipped together to create a strong, propulsive force. The main mechanics of a dolphin kick are the same as freestyle, except the legs move in unison and stay together throughout the entire kick cycle. The hip and core drive initiate the movement of the kick, which flows down to the tops of the feet. The faster and stronger the hip undulation, the quicker the propulsion forward.

A kick where the heels chamber near the glute before whipping out and back together in one fluid motion. This kick allows for a glide of 2-5 seconds before initiating the kick cycle again. Some characteristics of the whip kick include having a flat foot throughout the kick and only flexing during the glide phase, the ankles turn outward before initiating the kick sequence to press more water back, and the kick cycle must stay submerged for the strongest propulsion.

A pull where both hands make the catch, pull back, and recover simultaneously. With breaststroke, the pull ends at the swimmer’s shoulders, then the hands pitch up as if they are reaching for the chest before shooting back out into a streamline. The pull includes a glide phase after recovering in front of the swimmer.

A pull where both hands make the catch, pull back, and recover simultaneously. With the butterfly, the pull is the same as freestyle and ends at the hips, then recovers as the arms circle around at the surface of the water before beginning the pull phase again. There is no glide phase and the arms are continually in motion.

A turn that, after making contact with the pool edge, allows a swimmer to quickly switch and swim in the opposite direction. The open turn requires both hands to touch the wall, then the swimmer juts themselves back and falls into a tuck position before pressing off into a streamline.

A turn that, after making contact with the pool edge, allows a swimmer to quickly switch and swim in the opposite direction. The flip turn requires a swimmer to swim a certain distance toward the wall before initiating a forward somersault, landing their feet on the wall as they are upside down, and pressing off into a streamline.

The quickness of the somersault, rather than the swimmer’s arms, should generate the flip. This allows their hands to stay at their sides for the duration of the flip and automatically places their arms in a streamlined position.

A swim skill that has the swimmer scull and kick in a vertical position. This skill allows a swimmer to look at their surroundings, call out for help, wave their hands, and be better noticed by other rescuers (boat, jet ski, helicopter).

Treading water is also used for Water Polo. This skill requires swimmers to do a scissor, whip, or rotary kick while sculling their arms at their sides to generate a lift to the water’s surface.