Swimming is a sport which many people engage in either by itself or as a part of a triathlon. You can use it for general fitness or as a sport. Those looking for greater speed from their swimming will need to have the right swim technique. This means paying attention to your form and how you move your arms and legs while you are swimming. The better technique you have, the faster you will be able to slice through the water.
Steam Lining
Proper swim technique starts with thinking about your body and how it reacts with the water. This includes the very moment your body enters the water. Your body hands should directly above your head with one hand over the other. Your head should be dipped under your arms. If you were to take a picture of your body from straight on, you will see how little there is for the water to catch on to. This reduction in lag will allow your body to easily slip into the water. Evidence of this can further be seen by taking video as you dive in. With this method, you will notice less of a splash as you enter the water.
S-Stroke
The majority of people swimming for sport will use a freestyle swim technique. Take a look at the way you drag your arm through the water. If you are like most people without any training, you will pull your arm straight through the water. The problem with this is you will only really be pushing your body a third of the length of the stroke. This is because as your hand moves through the water is creates a current. After a moment, your hand is literally pushing itself through the water.
To get more pull from every stroke, start with your hand entering the water with your thumb hitting the water first. Push out and down until your hand is just outside your shoulder. Next, pull your hand back in towards the center of your chest and groin. Last, push your hand back out towards your hip and out of the water. If you look at the whole stroke in relation to your body, you will notice an S-pattern against your body. This stroke will give you maximum pull so you can move through the water faster. This is a swim technique which can be practiced outside of the water before trying it in the water.
Controlling Your Breathing
Another swim technique which can help you to swim faster is to control your breathing. You will notice some swimmers will be breathing at every opportunity they get. The problem with this is while your head is out of the water you are creating a lot of drag. This can be avoided by paying attention to when and how you breathe. Take a good full breath when you do breathe so you can go two strokes without taking a breath. You should be able to go at least two strokes in between each breathe.
Photo Credits: kenoncjones
Originally posted 2010-04-02 10:25:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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