Question of the Week
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Swimming Question of the Week - October 26, 2011

Posted by Glenn Mills on Oct 26, 2011 08:29AM (985 views)

We haven't done a question for a while, so here's something I've been trying to see what people are thinking.

The two main strokes where you have the opportunity to vary your rate will typically be freestyle and breaststroke.  While you can certainly vary them in backstroke and butterfly, there isn't quite as much chance to add glide in backstroke, or adding too much in butterfly can ruin your rhythm.

With that said... what would be the point of taking shorter strokes for breaststroke or freestyle?


Tags freestyle, breaststroke, stroke rate


Responses

Responded Oct 26, 2011 02:07PM

O2
Responded Oct 27, 2011 01:02AM

Increasing turnover? I know that my fastest 100 I ever swam (just over a year ago) I had a short, choppy stroke but I had a really fast turnover. Would so much like to repeat that swim (1:14! that was incredible for me). I kind of think that if my turnover is really fast, my stroke can be short and that would be OK (despite the fact that my coach is working with me all the time to lengthen my stroke...).
Responded Oct 30, 2011 10:34AM

In breaststoke to increase the rate can be done by a rapid syncronisation stroke-kick and by shortening the glide phase. But reducing glide, for some swimmers may reduces the speed. In freestyle, it can increasing the pace by an early catch (the recovery arm will plunge / enter into the water when the stroke-hand will be under the chest) and by an eary exit of stroke - hand. For some intermediate swimmers a rapid pace will not necessarily increase the speed, because the arms will more cut / split the water then support / sustain the water, they could lose balance of body rotation. To compensate these it should reduce the body rotation and the rate of breathing and to focus all attention on maintaining a streamline positon in last 50 m of strint when we are using a fast pace of stroke.
Responded Nov 02, 2011 11:00AM

An increased stroke rate in freestyle can either increase swimming velocity when arm force is held constant or reduce the arm force needed per stroke when velocity is held constant.

Because taller people in general have longer arms their hand velocity relative to the water is higher than that for smaller persons at a given angular velocity (which is proportional to the stroke rate). It might be beneficial for smaller persons to increase stroke rate to achive similar hand speeds.
Responded Dec 07, 2011 01:22PM

Hi Glenn! ... I would say if we want to swim fast we need to practice the quickness of movements like that backstroke spin-drill.

Responded Dec 07, 2011 02:02PM

Agreed Reemi.
Responded Feb 20, 2012 02:03PM

hi,glenn i am 6-5 ,my stroke frequency is slow what should i do to improve it
Responded Feb 20, 2012 02:17PM

May have a drill coming in the next day that could help, but also look at short release freestyle.

http://www.goswim.tv/entries/6225/freestyl...

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