Secrets of mastering the technique of swimming styles - crawl, breaststroke, butterfly, backstroke. What is the difference between crawl and breaststroke and which is better? The style is faster than breaststroke

If you want to learn to swim even faster, breaking all your previous records, then you will have to work hard on your swimming technique and mental attitude to show a high degree of discipline in training. But the most important aspect is still the technique and it should be mastered first, otherwise you risk wasting your time. If you want to quickly learn how to swim seconds or even minutes faster than usual, then start with the first step described below.

Steps

Working on improving technology

Reduced braking. Swimmers often focus on how to swim faster, but not on how to move through the water with the least amount of drag, which is one of the main techniques for increasing speed. Remember that braking can only be reduced with proper technique, not with powerful force. There are several ways to reduce drag, such as improving your balance in the water or by stretching your torso in the water.

Improve your balance. Balance is one of the cornerstones of reducing unfortunate inhibition. Balance in the water is about achieving the most horizontal position you can achieve. It’s not for nothing that all torpedoes move purely horizontally through the water, which allows them to reach maximum speed. Raising your torso vertically results in more resistance from the water, forcing your muscles to work harder.

Breaststroke and butterfly strokes are exceptions because your body moves in waves.

Stretch out lengthwise. Try to extend your spine as long as possible while moving in the water. The more you stretch out, the less turbulence you involve in your swim, thereby reducing drag. For example, when you swim crawl, you should throw your rowing arm further forward, thereby extending your spine along with the movement of your body.
- Think about how easy it would be for you to move your hand if you ran a needle through the water, and then pick up a rag and do the same. Notice how much water resistance the rag takes on with its awkward shape.
Push off effectively! When you push off with your feet, you should not stick them out of the water or keep them deep down, as both will throw you off balance.

Improve your forward motion. This advice does not mean that you need to increase muscle mass and become stronger. You just have to practice the correct technique for each stroke. Remember that only 10% of your speed comes from your legs, while your arms have to do the lion's share of the work, so you need to take great care of your strokes.

Use your sides. Don't be afraid to roll from one side to the other as you stroke with your arms. This method will help you engage those massive back muscles while also getting more benefit from your shoulder strength. It may take you some time to get used to this way of swimming, but believe me, it will be worth it as you will soon be swimming much faster.

Don't forget your core muscles. The core includes the muscles of the back, hips and torso. These muscle groups are especially important when you are rolling from side to side in the water. At first, it will seem strange to you to pay more attention to the muscles of the torso than to the arms and legs.

Imagine that your hand is an anchor. To increase your speed, you need to keep your arms, elbows and forearms in a straight line, facing backwards, which will help you in the backstroke. Throw your arms as if they were anchors, clinging to the water in front of you and helping to move your body through the water.

Keep your head in a neutral position. To swim as fast as possible, you need to keep your head in a neutral position, looking down at the water and not looking up. Lifting your head up will automatically push your hips deeper into the water and increase braking. Relax your neck, look down and keep your head down. Remember that the whole body is false to be horizontal, like a needle or a torpedo.
- If you like to play with your imagination, follow the advice of swimmer Garrett McCaffery: “Imagine that you are a whale and you have a blowhole in your neck, and you constantly have to keep this cavity open to breathe, otherwise you will die. If you position your neck at an angle, you will block the blowhole and suffocate. Keep your neck at a right angle.”
Spread your fingers slightly as you swim. By spreading your fingers slightly, rather than squeezing them tightly together, you create an invisible web of water that produces 53% more power. The ideal distance between your fingers will be 20-40% of the diameter of your fingers.

How to swim faster in competition
1. Avoid making wrong turns. Even if you are swimming not in competition, but in training, then you should still avoid making incorrect turns, otherwise you risk acquiring a bad habit, which will then be difficult to get rid of even in competitions. After all, you definitely don’t want to be disqualified for failing to touch the side with both hands due to a careless attitude towards this during training.
  
  Approach the wall quickly and swiftly. Many swimmers treat the wall as a place to rest, even if it only lasts a split second. However, if you want to succeed, then you should not give in to this way of thinking. Approaching the wall quickly, keeping your head down for several strokes other than breaststroke will help you get ahead and perform better.
  
  Push off the wall well. Push off powerfully from the wall so as not to lose momentum. When swimming breaststroke, even performing one such kick can give you a few seconds of time. Continue to stretch along the movement of your body in the water and you will swim faster than ever.
  
  Swim like a dolphin underwater. After making a powerful push, perform dolphin-style undulating movements underwater, which will help you swim even faster.
Be persistent
1. Join the swim team. Look for swimming clubs in your city. Find out about prices, class times and required equipment. If you are not a member of any team, then it is recommended that you still go and sign up for one of them, because training in a team will serve as a stronger motivator for you and will bring better results. And also, the coach will tell you what needs to be corrected regarding swimming technique.
  - If you join a swimming team, you should not miss training and stick to a daily training schedule.
  - Always strive to reach new heights. Do swims with a 5-second break.
2. Take part in training competitions. If you are a member of a team, then you often have the opportunity to participate in this type of competition. Practice shows that swimmers achieve more significant results in this kind of competition than in regular training, because they are motivated by the thirst for victory, and even more so by avoiding a shameful defeat in the face of their comrades.
  
  Go to swimming seminars. Seminars are usually held with the participation of famous swimmers of the present and past, who will share some of the secrets of their skills. While these types of seminars can cost an arm and a leg, you will never regret spending the money and time taking a lesson from a famous swimmer or coach.
  - You can also videotape yourself swimming and then work with your coach to discuss ways to improve your stroke. Believe me, learning to swim well without outside help is oh, what a difficult task.
3. Learn the art of swimming through a variety of resources. Read books, magazines, watch films about how to swim better and faster. Try to find books about famous swimmers of the world, such as Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Missy Franklin, whose success may inspire you to new feats.
  
  Go to the gym. While swimming training is important, you should also mix up your exercise routine with a variety of exercise machines. Try running more, strengthening your core, occasionally lifting weights, doing squats, and jumping, which will help you build the muscles you need to be a successful swimmer.

Breaststroke is not the fastest, but it is the most economical swimming style in terms of energy expenditure. Watch the frogs, notice how slowly and easily they move in the lake. These amphibians literally glide in the water. Try to repeat their technique, then you will understand how to swim breaststroke correctly. If everything works out, you will be able to swim breaststroke for hours. Unlike frogs, which act on instinct, humans are forced to use intelligence and knowledge when trying to learn how to swim breaststroke correctly. It is best to contact a professional trainer. Your own theoretical knowledge will also be useful, especially for those who already know breaststroke and want to practice the technique on their own.

One of the differences between breaststroke is that the arm movements are made without bringing them to the surface and into the air. However, this style has certain advantages. Breaststroke makes it possible to move silently and cover long distances. It is used by divers and rescuers when transporting victims.

Choosing a body of water

If there are multiple choices, you need to consider them all. When choosing where it will be more convenient to conduct swimming lessons, be guided by your own preferences.

Pool

A professional trainer will recommend a swimming pool. Level bottom, smooth water of uniform temperature, less risk of drowning, it is possible to keep several people under full supervision. If the pool is indoors, you can practice in any weather.

Sea

The sea is not always completely calm. Small waves and even light ripples can make it very difficult for people without sea swimming experience to practice the technique. Uneven bottom, jellyfish will ruin your mood. But for a person who knows and loves the sea, these are little things that should not be paid attention to. The undoubted advantages of sea water include its healing effect: it tightens the skin, makes nails stronger, and gets rid of dandruff.

River

The current is not the best ally for inexperienced swimmers. In addition, there is a possibility of an unpleasant encounter with water snakes.
The density of fresh water is lower than sea water, it is more difficult to swim in it, and it does not “support” the body as well. For swimmers with more experience, the difference is not noticeable. But beginners who have learned to swim at sea will feel the difference.

Lake

In addition to the low density of fresh water and the opportunity to get acquainted with snakes, the disadvantages of lake swimming include the presence of mosquitoes in the evening and an uneven, slippery bottom covered with silt. Cold underwater springs carry an undoubted danger in the form of seizures. And the muddy water will not allow you to see broken glass on the shore bottom, left by poorly behaved picnickers.

It is best to choose a body of water where you feel confident. An unusual environment makes it difficult to fully concentrate on the learning process.

Learning the correct breaststroke

In the process of learning the correct breaststroke, you need to pay attention to the slightest nuances. It is easy for an adult, like a child, to learn, especially under the guidance of a trainer.

The main points of attention for those who want to learn are:

Body position.
Hand movements.
Leg movement.
Breath.
Synchronicity of movements.

Body position

The body is located horizontally, along the surface of the water. Lie face down on the water in an asterisk position, then bring your legs and arms together. Stay in this position for as long as possible. This exercise is aimed at feeling how confident a person is in the water.

Initially, the body is fully straightened, arms are brought forward, legs are closed, and the head is submerged in the water (“torpedo” shape). When the arms make a raking motion, the head comes out of the water and an inhalation is made (cobra shape). Then the body is given a “frog” shape - knees bent, heels towards the buttocks, feet turned out, hands under the chest. The tightened legs make a pushing movement, the arms, having completed the stroke, straighten, the head is lowered into the water, and an exhalation is made. The body is completely straight again.

Hand movements

IMPORTANT: The main rule for the hands in breaststroke is that the palms are straight and the fingers are closed. Don’t spread your fingers, we don’t have membranes between them, so it will be difficult to swim.

You can practice the correct hand movements while standing in the water:

Go into the water up to your neck and stand.
Bend your elbows at chest level, keeping your elbows and wrists horizontal. The backs of the palms touch, point forward, fingers closed.
Without opening your palms, straighten your arms, using your palms as a “wedge” cutting through the water.
Open your palms with the backs of your hands facing down.
Stretch your arms out to the sides in a circular motion, gradually bending your elbows. At this time, the palms first move horizontally. Then they gradually turn their backs outwards, as if “raking in” the water.
The movement ends in the starting position: the arms are bent at the elbows at chest level, the palms are brought together in a “wedge”.
Repeat everything in a complex, smooth, single movement.
Continue, bringing the movements to automaticity.

Leg movements

IMPORTANT: Leg movements serve to push off, a powerful push that throws the body forward. The more powerful the push, the higher the speed.

This exercise can be practiced using a swimming board:

Get into the water up to your chest or neck. Place your shoulders and arms on the board. The body and legs will be in the water. Legs and body are straight.
Tighten your legs, bending your knees at an angle of approximately 90 degrees. Knees point down, feet slightly turned out to the sides.
Straighten your legs, spreading them slightly, as if pushing off the water. The push will propel the body forward.
Repeat everything in one motion.

Breath

In the final stage, the circular motion of the arms gently pushes the body upward as the arms begin to converge at the chest. The head is raised and a breath is taken. When the palms cut the water like a wedge, the face drops. Exhale into the water through the nose. Breathing should be uniform. There is no need to rush to breathe; it is much better to breathe in and out slowly and slowly. Find the rhythm of movement that is optimal for your breathing. You can practice without leaving your computer. Stand up and try to combine the movements of your arms with your inhalations and exhalations.

Synchronicity

IMPORTANT: Movements should not be sudden.

The main task: to synchronize movements and breathing into a single whole, to bring it to automatism.
The straightening of the bent legs should occur simultaneously with the movement of the closed arms forward. The body is completely straightened, the face is lowered into the water - this gives the fastest possible movement, set by the push with the legs.

How to swim breaststroke fast or mistakes that slow us down

Beginners often ask the question: “How to swim breaststroke fast?” or “How to quickly learn to swim breaststroke?” This style is the slowest, not counting the “Doggy style” style (if, of course, it can be called a style). It will not be possible to overtake a swimmer using crawl or butterfly using breaststroke. Correct technique and the absence of mistakes will increase your speed.
The world record for swimming breaststroke in a 50-meter pool over a distance of 100 m was 57.13 seconds, and the butterfly was 49.82 seconds.

Another burning question is the number of strokes for a distance of 25 or 50 meters. The numbers are called different 8, 10, 12. The number of strokes depends not only on technique, but also on height and arm length. A 180 cm tall swimmer will make fewer strokes than a 160 cm tall person.

Wayne Goldsmith, in his article, provides advice given by Terry Gathercole, an outstanding athlete and coach who trained several Olympic champions. Terry recommends not focusing on perfect stroke technique, but rather focusing on overall body shape.

Errors

Many mistakes are made, especially when you take your first steps in learning breaststroke. It is impossible to list everything. Let's look at the most common and rude ones. It is better to entrust the correction of minor inaccuracies to the coach, he has a trained eye.

Common mistakes:

The head is above the water all the time.
This is acceptable if you swim leisurely “for yourself”, without worrying about speed, powerful pushes and correct strokes. If handled professionally, it is dangerous to behave this way, and neck injuries may occur.
Early or late or inhalation.
Leads to water entering the respiratory tract. Try to inhale when your head is out of the water as much as possible.
Shoulder tension when inhaling.
In an effort to keep water out of their mouths, swimmers tense their arms and shoulders, trying to rise as high above the water as possible. This leads to premature fatigue.
Stroke too wide.
Hands go behind your back, which leads to fatigue and overexertion.
Push.
There are two main mistakes associated with pushing.

The legs have already straightened, the body has moved forward, and the arms are still bent.
Push-off with legs brought together.

The art of properly swimming breaststroke will help transform swimming from a pleasant form of rest and relaxation into real sports that develop physically and strengthen the body. You can exercise regardless of age. For some diseases, doctors strongly recommend it, for example, for scoliosis, as a method of treatment and prevention. Pregnant women will spend time in this way for the benefit of their health and that of their baby. Office workers will pump up their muscles. Nervous comrades will relieve stress. Fat women will lose weight. Enjoy your relaxation!

Basic moments

During breaststroke, the movements of the arms and legs are performed in the water without rising into the air. Breaststroke is the quietest style. You're unlikely to have any problems moving your arms. But with legs it can be more difficult. In this case, you can pick up a board and train your legs separately.

As for proper breathing, to take a deep breath (through the mouth), the head rises above the surface of the water at the moment when the hands go back. In fact, this is facilitated by the movement of the whole body, so in the water such movement feels much more natural than when reading. Exhale through your nose and mouth into the water.

The main rule is that movements in the water should be smooth. The effort should not be excessive, and breathing should remain deep and even.

Of course, you shouldn’t consider breaststroke something elementary. When you want to noticeably increase your speed, most likely you will need advice from a trainer to correct mistakes. But first, you are quite capable of learning to swim with the help of the following videos.

Video No. 1: body position

From head to feet, the body should be in one smooth line. The face is lowered into the water during exhalation. During inhalation, the head is pushed out of the water in a single movement. At the same time, the spine remains straight, and the shoulders and neck are not overstrained. Particular attention should be paid to: the stomach should be retracted while swimming.

Video No. 2: legs

It is the correct push off with the legs that makes the main contribution to speed. Pull your heels as close as possible to then push hard. As the shins move toward the center, the feet also move toward each other.

Video No. 3: hands

The arms should scoop up as much water as possible, guiding the body forward and upward out of the water to inhale.

Video #4: Breathing

Proper breathing allows you to supply your muscles with oxygen, which is necessary for strong, effective movements. Don't tense your shoulders while inhaling. A smooth exhalation while moving your arms back helps lift your head out of the water to inhale.

Every person on the planet has found himself in water at least once and wanted to learn how to stay on it and swim well. Some were taught by their parents, others went to a special section in the pool, where they were taught by real professionals. Watching the next Olympics on TV, the viewer will be able to see competitions in ponds in different types of swimming: breaststroke, crawl, freestyle and butterfly. Why did you choose these particular species? The answer is simple - observing all physical laws, using such methods a swimmer will be able to cover the greatest distance with minimal energy expenditure. But the athlete always needs to remember that all his movements of the arms and legs must be harmonious with breathing, adjusted to a split second, otherwise you can lose a couple of extra seconds and lose the race.

But which swimming style is the fastest? Many experts are confident that a swimmer can develop the highest speed by swimming freestyle. This style has a long history; even in ancient Rome, some residents could boast of their lightning speed in the water. The crawl came to Europe only at the end of the 19th century; until that moment, representatives of the old world used only breaststroke.

To understand what kind of mechanism a swimmer uses in this style of swimming, you need to imagine the following picture: the athlete is in the water with his stomach down, alternately, with his left and then with his right hand, scooping the liquid under himself, while his head is down, only occasionally turning to the side to gain air, the legs make wave-like movements, similar to small repulsions from some surface.

The history of the development of the fastest style

Strangely, it was only in the mid-nineteenth century that the crawl was used for the first time in the international arena. It was used by the Indians, who easily bypassed the rest of their opponents, leaving them several tens of meters behind. At that moment, professional swimmers considered this style barbaric and did not want to swim like that. In their opinion, it lacked a touch of aristocracy, because numerous splashes in all directions and incomprehensible hand movements could not be something beautiful worthy of blue bloods. But in any society there are people who think differently. John Trengen, while traveling in Latin America, noticed the benefits of the crawl and wanted to use this method at home in England. But his leg movements left much to be desired: his lower limbs were brought into a horizontal position, which was quite unlike the Indian style. A few years later, Richmond Cavill modernized the Englishman's approach. Nowadays it is he who is considered to be the founder of this style, which is why experts so often like to call it the Australian rabbit because of the origin of the “discoverer”. And Charles Daniels slightly changed the Australian method, approaching the six-stroke stroke from a different direction.

The main thing is the work of the hands!

All swimming styles start from this. The rabbit is no exception. Consecutive parts of the general mechanism of hand movement:
1. Hands are immersed in the water, a small influx is made.
2. First the support stroke, then the main stroke.
3. Hands come out of the water.
4. Arc-shaped movement over water.

The important thing the swimmer needs to do in the first part is to bend his arm and lower it into the water at an acute angle. The hand enters the water first, then the forearm, and then the shoulder. In this part, the entire load falls on the shoulders, so it is necessary to follow the above sequence. After this, the hand is extended.

The second part consists of the supporting and main strokes. Especially for the support stroke, the arm should be bent at an acute angle. And the main stroke is performed only when the hand has formed a ninety-degree angle with the water. Then the arm straightens.

For the third part, the location of the hand along the body, namely, parallel to it, is specific. Here you need to pay attention to the shoulder. The fact is that, together with this phase, the other hand is immersed in the water, which allows the shoulder to come out first, the action occurs in the reverse order (shoulder, forearm, hand).

The last part of the mechanism is the simplest. The hand is brought bent along the body to repeat the mechanism. It is important to know that during this movement the swimmer's elbow is pointing upward.

Leg movement

Leg movements are wave-like. The main strength comes from the hips, you don’t need to bend your knees, you can only occasionally help yourself with them.

Breathing during crawl

One of the most important and crucial moments when swimming crawl is proper breathing. It should have a very rhythmic sequence. The mechanism itself can be described in several phases:
1. Formation of a breathing pocket. The head turns towards the raised hand and inhales.
2. The swimmer exhales through his nose and mouth when his head is lowered into the water.

You need to follow these few factors to always feel good in the water. If you lose your breath, you can choke and drown.

When turning your head in both directions from the vertical, the number of breaths should be equal. This is why the body of a professional athlete moves so correctly in the water. Inhalation on the left side: The right arm is positioned straight, facing forward. The shoulder of the left arm begins to emerge from the water and make a dome-shaped movement. The athlete points his head to the left side and takes in air. The same applies to the right side.

Coordination during crawl

Many beginners quite often have problems with counting the number of arm movements per the number of leg movements. Professionals divide the entire crawl, depending on the kicking, into four subspecies:

1. Double;
2. Quadruple;
3. Triple;
4. Sixfold.

But when a novice swimmer begins to count how many movements he made with his legs and arms at the same time, this only leads to worse results. Only with practice does the athlete develop an internal calculation of various movements. To begin with, you can take the following as a rule: one arm stroke for a couple of leg swings.

Difficulties and mistakes when swimming crawl

Swimming teachers highlight several mistakes:

1. Seated pose. In this position of the body, the head is adjacent to the neck, and the legs are pressed to the stomach. To prevent this from happening, you need to start swimming with your leg straight, clearly feeling the position of your body in the water.
2. Quite often, when swimming fast, the athlete’s head rises too high. This will not lead to anything good, it will only cause inconvenience in the form of a large amount of water in the airways.
3. Strong strokes will make the body feel like a rocking boat in a storm. Movements should be smooth and precise.
4. Straight arms when rowing. Productivity is minimal.
5. Improper breathing.

The crawl is not such a difficult style. It is important to follow some rules and then you will succeed.

Today there are 4 main swimming style: crawl (freestyle), backstroke, breaststroke And butterfly. This article describes each of these styles.

FREESTYLE (CRAWL)
This is the definition freestyle All-Russian Swimming Federation: " Freestyle means that the swimmer is allowed to swim in any way, arbitrarily changing them over the distance." Even at the beginning of the 20th century, freestyle was very often used breaststroke, treadmill style And sidestroke. But already in the 1920s. Most athletes began to choose faster freestyle crawl.

People were swimming crawl since ancient times. However, European civilization at some point apparently simply “forgot” about rabbit, and most athletes in Europe and America back in the 19th century gave their preference breaststroke. Get to know each other again crawl Europeans were able to in 1844 at a competition in London, where the proud English were quite easily overtaken by the American Indians, who swam in a strange “barbarian” unknown to the whites. swimming style. In the 1870s The Englishman John Tredgen, who traveled through Argentina, learned the crawl technique from the local Indians and a few years later presented a “new style” at competitions in Great Britain (John’s style was not yet fully developed crawl- he adopted only the movements of his hands from the Indians, and still worked with his legs only in the horizontal plane). The new technology was soon refined by the Australians - brothers Dick and Toomes Cavill - who brought it into crawl elements of the swimming technique of the indigenous people of the Solomon Islands. This "Australian rabbit" a little later it was improved by the American Charles Daniels, who also included six-beat leg strokes - thus Daniels created "American rabbit" from which the development of modern style comes.

Crawl(English "crawl" - "crawl") - swimming style on the chest, during which the athlete makes wide strokes along the body alternately with his right and left hands, and at the same time constantly performs kicks in the vertical plane (up and down). The athlete's face is almost constantly in the water; Periodically, during one of the strokes, he turns his head to the side, lifting his face out of the water in order to take a breath.

Video (crawl):

BACKSTROKE
This swimming style look like " reverse crawl". Here, as in rabbit, the athlete performs alternating strokes with his arms (but: above the water the arm is extended straight, and not bent, as in the crawl), and at the same time makes alternating kicks in the vertical plane (up and down). The athlete's face is almost constantly (except for the start and turns) above the water.

Interesting fact: initially, when swimming on the back, European athletes used a technique that resembled " reverse breaststroke", but not at all crawl. This is exactly how athletes swam on their back at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris. But soon everything changed: in 1912, the American Harry Hebner used backstroke"flipped over" crawl and became a gold medalist at the Stockholm Olympics - almost immediately after this, all athletes began to swim on their back in this way.

Backstroke- it's not the fastest swimming style, but you can swim faster with it than, for example, with breaststroke. And this is the only one swimming style, in which the start is made from water.

Video (backstroke):

BREASTSTROKE
The name of this swimming style comes from the French word "brass" - "hand". Breaststroke- This swimming style on the chest, when moving which the athlete performs simultaneous and symmetrical strokes with his arms, as well as simultaneous and symmetrical pushes with his legs in a horizontal plane under the surface of the water.

This is the oldest and slowest swimming style. In the Egyptian "Cave of Swimmers" (c. 9000 BC) there are cave paintings depicting people swimming, who apparently moved in the water in much the same way as they swim breaststroke modern athletes.

At the beginning of the 20th century, even professional athletes swam breaststroke while keeping your head above the water. Only in the 1930s. many swimmers (including representatives of the Soviet school) began to lower their heads into the water while stretching their arms forward. Since then this swimming style Many more improvements have been made.

Let it go breaststroke It’s not too fast, but it has many advantages that make it simply an indispensable style for applied swimming: breaststroke allows you to move silently in the water; when moving in this style, you can perfectly view the surface area; and also it is by swimming breaststroke that you can overcome significant distances.

Video (breaststroke):

BUTTERFLY
The name of this swimming style translated from English as “butterfly” (colloquial name in Russia is “dolphin”). When swimming butterfly the athlete performs simultaneous and symmetrical movements with the left and right parts of the body. The swimmer makes a powerful wide stroke with his hands (while the upper part of his body rises above the water), while simultaneously performing symmetrical wave-like kicks “from the pelvis”. Butterfly- this is the most energy-consuming swimming style, it requires maximum endurance and perfect mastery of technique.

This swimming style- the youngest. Butterfly"came into being" in 1935, and at that time it was considered simply the newest variety breaststroke. Only almost 20 years later, in 1953, butterfly officially recognized as independent swimming style.

Video (butterfly):