: « How to work with your hands underwater̆? «
We talked about how to carry your hand over the water. Now let's look at how hands work underwater.
The insertion is carried out in the so-called "letter box", that is, the hand enters the water at a point located a little further than the ear in front of the head. Accordingly, the hand enters the water sequentially behind the hand at one point. After insertion, the brush goes to the so-called “target position”. The hand should lie so that the hand is the lowest point of the entire hull of our ship - our entire body. And the hand immediately after insertion goes to this point. We don't have paddling on the surface of the water. At first glance, it may seem that the stroke is shortened in this way, in fact, no, the hand goes to this point and grabs the water almost immediately.
There are several focus points while working the hand underwater.
The first point of focus is putting your hand on the target. It is connected directly to the "letterbox" focus point (we put our hand in one point and it goes there). So we control the same consequence of putting the hand into the water.
The second focus point is called the Pilates Ball or Pilates Ball. We imagine a large ball and as if we put our hand on it, the ball lies under the surface of the arm, the elbow is pointing to the side and the hand feels this ball under the lower surface of the arm. After that, we DO NOT make a sudden movement, GNE pushes the water down. As soon as we feel the pressure of water on the hand, we keep it, DO NOT make a sharp effort down. It's like a car slipping, if you give too much gas, our tires start to slip. It's the same here, we put our hand in and we should feel this effort. Keeping the effort at hand, we lower the hand down and the active phase of the stroke after insertion is in fact NO. We put our hand in, hooked on the water and push the body past the hand, going to the opposite side. At this moment, a roll is carried out from one side to the other.
The third focus point in the stroke is that the stroke ends in front, on insertion. Before that, we were taught to focus on the completion of the stroke at the hip. In fact, no, the stroke ends in front and all the concentration goes to the fact that the brush is put forward, and the body follows it. To start training, we practically do not control this moment, but we begin to do it almost after we begin to feel pressure after inserting at hand. And gently clinging to the water, like a ladder, we just hold onto the step and drag the body past the hand.
Before rowing on command "Oars" rowers should take their starting position: sit straight on the bank, occupying 3/4 of its width, slightly bent legs should rest against the supports, the hands of the arms bent at the elbows should be on the oar (one on the handle, the other on the roll) at the width of the chest with palms down ( Fig. 32).
Rice. 32. Starting position for rowing (blade deployed parallel to the water surface)
Proper seating of rowers facilitates the development of rowing technique and makes it possible to use their physical strength to the fullest. The stroke can be divided into four phases (Fig. 33):
a) Skidding of the oar blade to the bow of the boat (1, 2).
Rice. 33. Turning the oar blade when rowing:
1 - starting position (at the command "Oars"); 2 - at the beginning of the turn away from you; 3 - at the end of the turn and at the time of entry into the water; 4 - on the traverse; 5 - at the time of removal from the water; 6 - when skidding
The oar blade moves through the air at gunwale height, deployed parallel to the water surface to reduce air resistance and not touch the water.
Rice. 34. Oar skid
The body of the rower leans forward, the knees bend, the arms straighten, the head rises and turns towards the blade (Fig. 34).
At the end of the skid, by moving the hands away from oneself, the oar is turned so that the leading edge of the blade, having passed through the upper position, is inclined from the vertical plane towards the stern at an angle of 10-15°.
b) Putting the blade into the water (3).
The blade is introduced into the water quickly and vigorously, but without impact. The inclination of the upper edge to the stern at an angle of 10-15 ° helps to keep the blade at the required depth. If the blade is introduced into the water vertically or with the upper edge turned towards the bow, then it can deepen excessively, turn out in the water to a horizontal position and, slipping under the blades of other oars, slow down the rowing pace.
A sluggish, non-energetic descent of the blade does not give a push to the boat and can even cause it to slow down if the speed of the oar is less than the speed of the boat.
Of great importance is the depth of immersion of the blade in water. At first glance, it seems that the oar works most efficiently when the entire blade is in the water. However, it is not. The blade is made somewhat longer with the expectation of sea waves, when it becomes more difficult to control the position of the oar. On calm water, the blade should be immersed in water by 1/2-2/3 of its length. With full immersion, the rower is forced to exert more effort on the wiring, as a result of which he gets tired faster. With less immersion, the working area of the blade decreases, and the paddle will work inefficiently.
In practice, the depth of immersion of the blade depends on the skill of the rower and on the sailing conditions (wind, waves). A trained rower sinks the blade more than a beginner. When moving downwind, the blade sinks less than against the wind.
c) Wiring the blade in the water. During the piloting, the boat is given translational motion forward. Therefore, wiring is the main phase of the stroke and must be performed from start to finish with maximum effort.
Starting the wiring, the rower should strongly rest his feet on the support and pull the oar with his whole body on straight arms. The blade must be in a vertical position during wiring. The handle of the oar must be kept at the same level, without losing the feeling of supporting the oar on the water. Under this condition, the blade maintains a constant depth.
The main work during wiring is performed by the muscles of the legs and back. Straightened arms only transfer to the oar the force developed due to the movement of the body. The muscles of the hands are included in the work when the body, having passed the vertical position, deviates back. At this moment, the arms bend and forcefully pull the handle of the oar to the body.
The handle of the oar during wiring is wrapped around with four fingers from above and one (large) from below. Grabbing the handle with the palm of your hand is completely unacceptable, since when the oar is pulled, the skin of the palm gathers into folds and is easily erased.
Rice. 35. Forces acting on the boat when rowing
The piloting should be long enough and performed simultaneously by all rowers, which gives the boat an even movement and provides better results when crossing long distances.
With short strokes, the boat moves unevenly, in jerks, and the rowers quickly get tired. Frequent strokes (four or five strokes) with a slight skid of the oar are used at starts in boating competitions to give the boat the necessary initial speed.
However, excessively large skidding of the blades and very long wiring should not be done. On fig. 35 shows the forces acting on the boat when rowing. The force of water resistance R acts on the hull and slows down the movement of the boat forward. The water reaction force P acts on the oar blade and is transmitted through the oarlocks to the boat hull. The force P can be decomposed into a thrust force T, directed parallel to the diametrical plane, which moves the boat forward, and a drift force D, directed perpendicular to the diametrical plane, which does not participate in the movement of the boat. The T force is greatest when the blade is abeam. At this moment, the force D is equal to zero. When the blade is drifted at an angle of 45 ° from the traverse, T = D, and when it is drifted at a larger angle, D>T, i.e., most of the rower's efforts are wasted. Therefore, the angle of the oar drift and the end of the wiring should be within 45-50 °.
Of great importance is the simultaneity of the beginning and end of the wiring by the rowers of both sides. With non-simultaneous strokes, under the action of force D, the boat sways and scours, which makes it difficult for the rowers to work, reduces the controllability and speed of the boat.
Simultaneity of rowing is achieved:
Equalization of rowers on rowing rows;
Equalization of the left stroker - on the right;
Execution of commands (counting) of the foreman of the boat;
Thorough training of rowers.
d) Taking the blade out of the water. To take the blade out of the water at the end of the drive, you need to complete the movement of the body back, pull the oar to the body with force and, with a sharp downward movement of the hands, take the blade out of the water. Then the oar turns on itself and the blade is in a horizontal position with the upper edge towards the bow. You should not start turning the blade in the water because of its possible arbitrary deepening.
All phases of the stroke must follow one after the other continuously, constituting a complete closed cycle.
When rowing, proper breathing is essential. Bringing the oar, you need to take a deep breath through your nose, while posting - slowly exhale through your mouth.
The rowing pace is set depending on the technical and physical fitness of the rowers. For a six-oared yawl, the normal rowing pace is 26-30 strokes per minute.
Rowing with wind and waves has its own characteristics. When moving downwind, the oar wiring should be very strong and sharp, and the drift should be slow and smooth without turning the blade. When moving against the wind and waves, the boat loses speed immediately after the stroke, so the oars are brought in faster and carried out more slowly.
In swimming technique, the main source of traction force is the arm stroke. At the same time, the traction force differs depending on the level of skill of the athlete himself.
Phases included in the cycle of hand movement:
—support (capture of the water surface). The arm makes a supporting, rather powerful movement forward and down with a bend at the elbow and a quick transition to the position that is necessary for the main stage of the stroke. The stance phase should end with a relatively rigid fixation of the joints and holding the elbow over the hand;
— main body (pull-up and push-off). It is carried out by adduction and extension of the shoulder, at this time the arms are also bent and unbent in the elbow area. This stage involves the creation of the main thrust, helping to move forward. To implement the main stage of the stroke, it is necessary to bend the arm at an angle of 90-100 °, while the movement of the hand is carried out under the longitudinal axis of the body. At the moment when the stroke is made, it is necessary to close the fingers and open the palm. The initial stage of the stroke: the elbow is directed to the side and slightly back. Then the arm should be turned back at the elbow. Ending: repulsive movements are performed from the water plane with the involvement of the hand and forearm. This stage ends in the pelvic region;
—exit of the upper limb from the water plane. The movement should coincide with the tilt to the other side. An elbow comes out above the water, then a hand emerging from the water in the thigh area behind the pelvis;
— movement with one hand over the water surface or carrying must be made at the same time as the stroke of the other upper limb. Bent at the elbow, the relaxed arm sweeps quickly and the movement accelerates before entering deep into the water. The palm goes back and slightly up at the start of the carry;
— the entry of the hand into the water plane and the influx. The hand goes forward and down. The horizontal speed must be greater than the vertical speed. The entrance to the water plane is made where there is an imaginary point between the parallel through the shoulder joint and the longitudinal axis of the body. Entry into the water is made with a brush, an acute angle is observed. The hand at this moment is still bent and straightens only with the influx. First, the hand enters, then the forearm and shoulder. Next, the relaxed arm should be extended forward. Turn the hand vertically to the direction of movement at the end of the influx, bend the arm in the area of the elbow joint.
A complete system of swimmer movements, repeated many times, is called a cycle. In a single flow of movements, one cycle is replaced by another. It is conditionally possible to single out the beginning and end of the cycle, as well as its phases. Phase - this is the part of the movements during which there are no significant changes in the nature of the movements. At the same time, the swimmer's boundary poses are also distinguished - the instantaneous positions of the body at the moment of phase change. Boundary postures can serve as specific guidelines for pedagogical control and self-control over swimming technique.
Phases are combined into periods. There are two such periods:
- 1) the period of the main working movements (the period of active support);
- 2) the period of final and preparatory movements.
In the capture phase, the working planes of the hands actively interact with the water flow, creating lifting and driving forces. At this time it is necessary:
- 1) with the help of lifting and minimal driving forces, keep the intracycle speed at a relatively high level, and the body in a high and most streamlined position;
- 2) bring the working planes of the arms to a position that is rational for performing the main part of the stroke, along the most effective trajectory and with a high position of the elbow;
- 3) to enter the hand into a smooth stream so as to feel the effective pressure of water on the surface of the hand and forearm.
The grip is performed vigorously, but with optimal muscular effort. In modern versions of crawl swimming on the chest and on the back, the phase of grabbing water with the hands coincides with the transfer of the stroke from one hand to the other, and in most breaststroke and butterfly swimming options, with the transition from the working movement of the legs to the working movements of the hands.
In the pull-up phase, the swimmer's shoulder girdle approaches the working planes of the arms. In all strokes except breaststroke, by the end of the phase he is above them. During this time, it is necessary to provide such an acceleration of the swimmer's body so that he can perform the next phase of the cycle most efficiently. The pull-up phase also includes the beginning of the removal of individual links of the body to the highest section of their trajectory of movement above the water surface. The optimal ratio of driving and lifting forces on the working planes of the arms is achieved as a result of their slight deviation from the frontal plane. For example, when swimming front crawl and butterfly at the end of the pull-up phase, the working plane "hand-forearm" is still deviated from the frontal plane by 10-15 degrees. Hundredths of a second after the transition to the repulsion phase, this plane of the arm goes into a vertical position. Nevertheless, from the very beginning of the stroke, it is methodically justified for the swimmer to set - without delay to bring the working plane of the brush to a position close to the vertical.
The beginning of the pull-up phase is performed with the help of active tension of the muscles that bend the arm at the elbow joint and turn it inward, with the partial participation of the muscle groups of the shoulder girdle and back. This part of the pull-up phase is rightly called the “accelerating” phase. Then the most powerful muscle groups are fully involved in the work, extensor and adductor of the shoulder. By this time, the working plane "hand-forearm" is already inclined to the general line of advancement of the swimmer
Repulsion is the most powerful phase of the stroke. Vigorous extension and adduction of the shoulder continues, the shoulder girdle moves away from the working planes of the arms. At this time, it is necessary to ensure the highest speed of the swimmer moving forward and bring his hands to a position convenient for the beginning of the next period of movements.
The exit of the hand from the water, movement above the water and entry into the water are the phases that make up the period of final and preparatory movements when swimming in crawl, butterfly and on the back. In the breaststroke swimming method, such a phase is bringing the arms forward. At this time, it is necessary, with minimal water resistance, disturbing the streamlined position of the body as little as possible, and in the same rhythm with other movements of the swimmer, bring the hands to their original working position.
With a well-established swimming technique, some preparatory movements of the arms (for example, swinging the arm over the water with the elbow high in the freestyle on the chest or carrying the arm high over the body when swimming on the back) increase the efficiency of the working movements performed at the same time. It is logical to call such movements auxiliary.
The end of bringing the arms forward in the breaststroke or entering the water in other swimming methods immediately precedes a new period of working movements. At this time, the shoulder girdle is sent after the arms. The message helps to stretch the large muscles of the back and chest and maintain the optimal trajectory of the body moving forward.
The phases of leg movements and the generalized phases of the full cycle of swimmer's movements are considered when describing the technique of sports swimming methods. The beginning of the cycle of movements is conventionally accepted as: the beginning of the phase of capturing water with the hands when swimming in front crawl, backstroke and butterfly; the beginning of the kick-off phase in breaststroke swimming.
The front crawl swimming method is the fastest of all possible swimming styles. One of the most popular styles among swimmers, from recreational swimmers to competitive swimmers. The front crawl swimming technique involves performing wide strokes alternately with both hands, the head is immersed in water, in order to inhale it turns to the side during one of the strokes, the legs move in a vertical plane, giving additional horizontal acceleration cutting through the water.
Since crawl is the fastest swimming style, in freestyle swimming competitions, athletes swim in this way. The front crawl is not the easiest type of swimming for beginners and it will take some effort to master it on your own. If you are just starting out, you should first master the simpler ones. Varieties and fit for this as well as possible.
Front crawl swimming technique for beginners
To learn how to swim crawl correctly, consider the correct position of the body and the features of the technique.
body position
For freestyle swimming, you need to aim for your body to be as horizontal as possible. The angle that forms between the longitudinal axis of your body and the horizontal is called the angle of attack. The closer this angle is to the horizontal, the better the streamlining of the floating body. The slowdown caused by water resistance is lower, so you can get more speed. In crawl, the value of the angle of attack is the smallest among all other swimming styles, depending on the speed and structural features of the body, it can vary from 0 to 10 degrees. The smallest angle of attack is achieved due to the greater speed and correctly set stroke technique.
The shoulders during the movement should be higher than the hips, which will facilitate the movements of the hands when leaving the water and carrying them for a stroke, as well as when performing a repulsive movement, this makes it possible to actively work with the muscles of the body. The legs should be at sufficient depth to enable effective kicking with the feet. The location of the head in the crawl is free, the neck practically does not strain, at the moment when it is necessary to take a breath, the head moves to the side.
Features of the strokes
Efficient stroke execution is the most important task for developing and maintaining speed. The movements of the hands create a traction force, first of all, the magnitude of the traction force depends on how technically the movements of the hand are performed correctly and how correctly it is located during swimming. The task of the brush is to create a constant support on the water in order to get maximum acceleration when making a stroke.
Making a support movement, the arm is bent, forming an angle of about 130 degrees between the shoulder and forearm, after the entry phase, the arm moves forward and slightly down, water is captured. The main task of the grip is to maintain the body in a position as close to horizontal as possible, and to obtain the most comfortable position for the next phase of the stroke - pulling up.
The main phases of crawl swimming on the chest
To understand how to swim crawl, consider the main phases during movement.
pull up
In the pull-up phase, you are leaning against the water in a vertical plane. During the pull-up, quite often, they perform an advanced movement with the hand and forearm, taking them back.
In the course of the pull-up, the hand and forearm gradually align, and at a certain stage they occupy an almost vertical position, in this position, the movement of the arm begins to give the swimmer acceleration in the horizontal plane. When the hand is under the elbow, the hand is leveled in a vertical position, the pull-up phase is replaced by the repulsion phase.
Repulsion
The repulsion phase allows you to increase the speed to the maximum. In the first part of the repulsion, before crossing the vertical, the acceleration created by the movement of the hand continues to increase. In the final stage of repulsion, the hand moves back and up, due to this, a drowning force arises. At the moment when any part of the hand is shown above the water, the repulsion phase ends.
Getting hands out of the water
After the take-off phase is over, the exit phase begins. In this phase, you raise your hand out of the water to carry it further to make the next stroke. The exit phase ends as soon as the arm is fully lifted out of the water.
Carrying over water
The technical execution of the carrying phase depends on the position in which the hand came out of the water. In what position did the hand come out of the water in this position and should it be carried. The hand at the beginning of the passage is directed back, and slightly up. Gradually accelerating the movement of the hand, the brush goes to the next phase - the entry of the hand into the water.
Entering the hand into the water
A technically correct entry of the hand into the water is one of the most important elements of the preparatory movement. The place where the arm should enter should be located in front approximately between the head and shoulder. The brush enters the water at an acute angle without hitting the surface of the water. When immersed in water, it is necessary to adhere to the following sequence - first the hand is immersed, then the forearm, and lastly the shoulder.
Leg movement while swimming
When swimming in a crawl, the legs alternately move up and down. Leg movements can be divided into two phases - preparatory and shock. In the preparatory movement, most of the muscles are relaxed, the leg is straightened until it reaches a horizontal position. After that, the foot begins to move down, the knee moves down. After the foot is at or above the water surface, the shock phase begins.
The shock phase is aimed at developing the lift force, creating and maintaining the driving force. In the shock phase, the lower leg moves down, at the beginning of the movement, the foot looks with the toe inward, the thigh continues to move down, gradually bending at the knee, in the final stage the thigh moves up, the foot arches with the toe outward. The number of kicks per cycle of two arm strokes is usually two, four or six. For beginners, we recommend using the six-beat crawl, as this technique is easier to master. The double-stroke crawl is usually used for long distances.
Breath in rabbit
Understanding how to breathe properly when swimming is very important to maintain the pace of movement. Breathing when swimming crawl is correctly performed with a slight delay on inhalation, this allows the body to better saturate with oxygen. Inhalation is done towards the arm, which is currently completing the repulsive phase. The inhalation ends after the same hand begins to come out of the water. Turning the head should be done smoothly, without sudden movements. How many cycles to do before inhalation primarily depends on the length of the distance. For long distances, as a rule, there are 2-3 cycles per breath, for short ones - one breath per cycle.
Conclusion
Now you know the features of crawl swimming and you can safely start training in the pool. If training in water is difficult, you can try to perform exercises on land in order to understand the features of movements without being distracted by breathing and supporting the body in a horizontal position. The next step in mastering the art of swimming will be. It will allow you not to slow down while swimming, but will add spectacularity and speed to the execution of this element.