Assumption College of Nabunturan

Compostela Valley Province, Philippines

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Prepared by: Jomarie G. Turtoga, LPT

HISTORY OF
FREESTYLE
The ancient technique of freestyle must come from American,
West African inhabitants and from some Pacific Islands, where
this knowledge went down from generation to generation. This
technique was not known by the Britons at this time. The
Americans have won the competition, as their technique, if not
as refined as the English gentlemen’s technique, it proved to be
much faster. The Americans move their arms as a “windmill”,
while they make up and down kicks with their legs. This
“splashing” style was considered barbarian, “un-European”,
said the English gentlemen, who continued to prefer competing
in breaststroke, keeping their heads above water until 1873.
The first most important element of this technique, which
mention should be made of, is the ideal posture. The three
conditions of this ideal, streamlined body position, according to
Ákos Tóth, are the proper head position, the straight back and
hip position, and finally the small legwork. The head is bent
down between the arms. It cannot be raised because it increases
the resistance. For this reason, the legwork must also be
minimal. The upper utmost point of the leg movement is the
surface of the water, while its bottom point can leave the body
line only a little bit. The position is not a constant one, because
the body makes turns of about 30 or 40 degrees along its
longitudinal axis while swimming.
Freestyle legwork consists of small cyclic
movements: a downward propulsive phase
and a passive upward lift. This alternating
motion is completed by lateral moves, which
provide the balance of the body. The rate of
how much the legs open depend on
individual conditions (antropometria), but it
is approximately from 50 to 80 cm.
The right posture of freestyle
The too steep, faulty posture of freestyle
 During freestyle kicking, bend the knee for
the down-kick and straighten the leg for
the kick.
Feel resistive friction wrapping around the top
of the foot to gain traction on the water when
kicking.
Finish down-kick with straight tension for
an accelerated thrust forward.
Legwork consumes more energy in itself. When
swimmers use only their legs and feet, they consume
approximately four times as much oxygen as when
swimming with only arm strokes (Tóth 2008). For saving
more energy, long-course swimmers apply less kicks.
They use double, double crossed or four-pace legwork.
When they use double-pace legwork, they do two
downward kicks during an arm cycle, when they use
four-pace legwork, they do for kicks, and when using
double crossed legwork, they make four leg movements
during an arm cycle: two larger downward movements
and two crossed ones are carried out.
The underwater curve of the
freestyle arm work
For the development of the proper swimming rhythm it is
essential to create the right consistency of the arm work
and the legwork. The first essential component of that is to
always adjust legwork with arm work.

The most propulsive part of freestyle is the arm

work, which has two main phases: the
underwater and the above-water arm work.
Underwater arm work also consists of more
than one parts, which are the arrival of the
hand in water, pulling and pushing.
Underwater arm work starts with the arrival of the hand
in water. The back of the hand arrives in water between
the lines of the head and the shoulder. First the back of
the hand arrives in water, then the forearm, then the
elbow and finally the upper arm. When arriving in water,
elbow is slightly bent, palms are open and face outwards,
the back of the hand “slides” into water with its thumb
side. After arrival in water, arm is starched out
completely, so its speed is reduced (awaiting the other
hand’s movement, which at that time is just in the
pushing phase).
The arrival in water is not the same as catching water. The second phase
of underwater arm stroke is pulling. After the arm enters the water comes
an outward and downward pulling movement (which has not got any
propulsive function yet) and the ending point hereof is water catching.
From here, the point of water catching freestyle arm work is propulsive.
After catching water comes an inward pulling movement as far as the
center line of the body. This movement helps the turning of the body
around its around its lengthwise axle. The movements ends at the line of
the shoulder. The underwater pulling patterns differ from one world
classic swimmer to the other (reversed S shape, question mark). It is
essential that the hand should be positioned as the extension of the
forearm. After the pulling phase of underwater arm work comes the third
phase, i.e. pushing.
Matt Biondi world classic swimmer’s armwork in
the air. The degree of the turn of the body can be
well seen in the picture.as well as the breathtaking
which accompanies this phase.
The breathing technique is closely related to
certain movement phases of the arm stroke. In
the last phase of the arm stroke, at the end of the
pushing, the swimmer starts to turn his head
sidewise, in the direction of the exiting arm. This,
of course, is in line with the turn of the body. As
soon as the mouth line reaches the water, the
swimmer makes a side move with his mouth and
takes a breath.
At a higher speed, a trough of wave is created,
which makes breathing easier for the swimmer.
Breathing takes place in the deliverance phase of
the arm stroke and in the first phase of bringing
the arm forward. Once the oral inhalation
happens, the swimmer (in accordance with the
body movements) reverses his head into the
water. As soon as the swimmer’s mouth is
returned to the water, he immediately starts the
breathing out.
The exhalation is carried out continuously
and simultaneously through the nose and
the mouth, which shall be continued as
long as the following inhalation. If the
swimmer failed to exhale the air
completely, it shall be done into the
water before the next inhalation.
The breathing technique, the position of the
mouth and the through of the wave during
breathing
FREESTYLE START
TECHNIQUE
In swimming different start techniques are applied. Among the
classic techniques, the arm swing or arm circle technique was
considered the best for a long time. These techniques meant that
before the jump, the swimmer made an arm swing or an arm
cycle, which gave a greater impetus to the jump. Swimmers had
been experimented constantly by speeding up the start, since
they realized that it affects it their time result significantly. For
example, 25% of the time needed to complete 25 m is the start
time. On 50 meters it is 10%, and 5% on 100 metres. (Á. Tóth)
The start time had to be reduced, which is led to the reform of
the start technique. To speed up the start technique a new
method, the gripping start was invented.
Using this technique, swimmers can move their
body in the direction of the water faster. One
version of the gripping technique was the front
dive, which resulted in a deeper dive under water,
a faster and more streamlined entering into the
water. Another version is the standing-start, which
is a more stable start position, and as a result of
the more horizontal (flatter) push it assured a
faster entering into water.
In freestyle both the front dive and
the standing start can be applied.
Both share the following main stages:
start position, pulling, push-off,
flight, entry into water, gliding,
pulling-out to start swimming.
The Technique
of Front Dive
When doing a front dive, in the start position swimmers stand
in the front of the starting block, their feet turn slightly inside
and their toes are clutched at the front edge of the starting
block. For a more powerful kick the distance between the feet
is at about the shoulder line. After bending the body, head is
lowered, eyes on the water in front of the starting block. The
elbows are slightly bent, both hands touch the front edge of
the starting block either between the feet or outside of them.
In order to ensure an effective jump knees are bent of about
30-40 degrees. The body’s gravity center (from the point of
view of the start speed increasing the speed of this is decisive)
is behind the feet.
When the start signal is given, swimmers drag down their gravity
center, which can be found at the hips, beyond the front edge of the
starting block. Knees bend nearly 80 degrees. Meanwhile, swimmers
move their arms upward. This is pulling phase. Arms are not to push
away the starting block, they are only to let it go, because it slows down
the jump. This move is followed by the push-off phase. After the
previous knee bending, as its continuation, swimmers push off the
starting block by a powerful hip and knee straightening, which is
followed by the straightening of the foot at the ankles. This movement
is complemented by forwarding the arms on a half-curve and by the
raising of the head. The arms are bent, close to the body, swing forward
under the chin, then leaving the head line they begin to move forward
gradually in an extending position. In this position the head bends
down.
After the swimmer’s body left the starting block,
starts the flight phase. Swimmers fly in the air with
a body slightly bent. At the highest point of the
flight phase they move their arms downward and
forward, and bend down their heads. After the
body leaves the highest point of the flight phase,
swimmers bring their legs into the line of their
body to ensure a streamlined entry into water. The
whole body is straightened, tight, the head is
located between the arms and is bent down while
entering water.
Front dive technique
 The standing
start technique
When doing a standing start, in the start position swimmers
stand in the front of the starting block with one foot, and their
toes are clinging to the front edge of the starting block, while
their other foot is further back as at the start in athletics. The
body weight is on the back foot. The trunk leans forward, the
head bowed, eyes on the water, hands touch the front edge of
the starting block. The start position is stable, less likely to lose
the balance. When the start signal is given, just as when doing a
front dive, swimmers move their gravity center forward, while
doing a downward pulling movement by the arms. After the
pulling phase comes the push-off.
The start position of the standing start.
The moment of pulling and the
push-off
The swimmer leaves flat the starting block. In the
flight phase, the gravity center remains low, which
ensures a faster start. Swimmers get into the water
faster as their gravity center moves downward
forward during the flight phase. Although
swimmers bend their hips slightly to increase the
angle of the entry, it is almost impossible to enter
the water through one point because of the flat
flight. The entry is flatter and less streamlined.
After the arrival into the water begins the
gliding phase, and then the turn-on of the
swimming movement. The advantage of the
standing-start comes from the fast, flat
curve push-off, its disadvantage, however, is
that the body is less streamlined when
entering the water, so it slows down faster to
the speed of the swimming movement.
We can disconnect the turn into
phases, which are as follows:
swimming-in, turning, pushing,
gliding, switching on swimming
after turn.
1.
THE FREESTYLE FINISH TECHNIQUE
Regardless to the swimming style, finish is always preceded by a
burst of speed. When doing it, swimmers usually withdraw their
breath and swim with a more vigorous implementation of arm and leg
periods. At the end of the distance freestyle swimmers will reduce the
number of breath takings, carry out a more powerful leg work, and
without reducing the period length they touch the wall with their
fingertips. In freestyle the rule allow the competitors to touch
Fig. 27: A series of photos of Ryan Lochte’s freestyle flip turn phases
31
the wall at the finish line with any of their body parts, but they
usually do so with their fingertips. If the swimmer cannot reach the
wall with a full arm stretch, he must continue to stretch and powerful
footwork must be performed to assist the fastest finish.
FREESTYLE RULES 1. Freestyle means that in an event
so designated the swimmer may swim any style, except
that in individual medley or medley relay events,
freestyle means any style other than backstroke,
breaststroke or butterfly. 2. Some part of the swimmer
must touch the wall upon completion of each length
and at the finish. 3. Some part of the swimmer must
break the surface of the water throughout the race, but
it shall be permited for the swimmer to be completely
submerged during the turn and for a distance of not
more than 15 metres after the start and each turn. By
that point, the head must break the surface.