Physical Education

Unit - 7

7.2.4.Front Crawl (freestyle)
This is the most popular stroke and the easiest for beginners to learn. It is a simple flutter kick and windmill arm motion, like the backstroke, only on your belly. The most difficult part is coordinating the breathing since your face is in the water most of the time.

The leg kick:

• It's a flutter kick where the legs kick in an alternating order.
• Bend the knees slightly.
• Relax the feet and ankles (the should be almost floppy).
• Emphasize the down-kick for propulsion.

The arm stroke:

• Move the arms in an alternating windmill motion.
• Pull each arm through the water with equal strength and arm reach to ensure that you swim straight.
• Pull arms underwater in an "S" pattern.
• Cup the hands but keep the wrist and hand relaxed during recovery.

The breathing:

• Raise one arm to begin the stroke. As the shoulder rises, turn the head to catch a breath.
• Turn the head only enough to leave the water to breathe. Do not lift the head because it will slow you down.
• Take as many breaths as necessary and then exhale through the nose and mouth when the head returns to the water.
• Repeat the head turn to the other side in coordination with the beginning of the opposite arm stroke.

In front crawl (freestyle), the body should be as close to the water surface as possible with the hips and legs behind the shoulders at all times. The leg movement requires a long and fast kicking motion, ensuring the whole of the leg is moving up and down. The knees are to be bent slightly and the feet should make a small splash. As with backstroke, the arm movement in front crawl consists of a push and pull stroke and a recovery stage.

The arms provide the power for the stroke with one arm following the other, through and over the top of the water. One hand should start in front of the head, stretching as far as possible with the hand pointing down thumb first, into the water. The elbow should be bent and the hand pushed towards the feet, keeping it going until it reaches the top of the leg. The arm should then be lifted out of the water and back to the original starting point in as controlled a fashion as possible. Front crawl is difficult because the face is in the water so, to breathe, the swimmer should turn their head to one side, leaving the side of the head resting in the water.