How to master crawl swimming?

In theory, almost everyone knows how to swim crawl correctly. But in practice, this type of swimming can be difficult to master for an adult. Especially if that person can't swim at all.

But if you know a few rules and simple secrets, then this task will not be difficult at all.

Crawl is a swimming style in which the upper and lower body move differently. Hands make wide strokes, and legs - short rhythmic swings. There are two variations of this style: back crawl and belly crawl.

Learning this style of swimming is worth it, if only because the front crawl is the fastest way for a person to move in the water. In addition, it requires a minimum of physical effort from the swimmer compared to other types of swimming. And that is why in all freestyle swimming competitions this type takes a leading position.

So, what does this type of swimming look like in practice? It is not at all difficult to swim correctly with a crawl.

It is only necessary to clearly perform the necessary movements. When positioned on the stomach, the swimmer's hands alternately, as it were, scoop up the water and at the same time move from the head to the thigh, while the legs move like scissors.

When positioned on the back, the legs move in the same way, and the hands row as if from behind the head. Moreover, in the first, that in the second case, the movements of the legs should not be smooth, but biting, otherwise the speed of movement will be low.

Breathing plays an important role in this sport. It is imperative to breathe through your mouth, turning your head in the direction where the hand at this moment is making a stroke. According to the rules of the style, you need to take a breath for every third stroke, while the head will turn either to the right or to the left.

You need to inhale as deeply as possible, because this sport consumes a lot of oxygen, which means that you need to replenish it as much as possible.

Of course, it is impossible to immediately lie down on the water and crawl, especially if you have not had such a practice before. It is very difficult to perform the movements in the right order and follow everything at once: arms, legs, head, breathing, and also keep the body on the surface of the water.

That's what the theory is for.

Swimming scheme.

You need to start the lesson by doing a few preparatory exercises that will help you properly master the crawl technique:

1. You need to start with exercises outside the pool. Perfectly develops the shoulder girdle exercise "Mill". And train the leg movements with the help of the Scissors exercise.
2. To swim crawl, you must learn to keep the body on the surface of the water. To do this, you need to get more air into your lungs, and then sink into the water, legs and arms wide apart. Such an asterisk needs to stay on the surface of the water as long as possible.
3. Rowing with one hand. Stroke all the time with one hand, and keep the other extended in front of you, as if one of your hands is catching up with the other. In this exercise, the stroke technique is worked out. Alternate hands all the time.
4. Train your endurance. You can ask the coach to take a stopwatch and measure how many meters you swim in 5 seconds. Strive to swim as much as possible. Ideally, this is 5 m.
5. Train with a partner (preferably an experienced swimmer). Try to catch up with him, while maintaining a certain distance. Be sure to follow the technique.

In addition, you should know a few simple secrets, without which it is difficult to master any swimming style, including crawl:

1. Do not eat 2-3 hours before training. A full stomach will experience increased pressure, and this can cause discomfort and interfere with training.
2. The best time to learn to swim is in the middle of the day. In the morning, the body is not yet ready for intense stress, and in the evening, fatigue is already accumulating after a working day. The best time is 12-18 hours.
3. Be sure to warm up a bit before diving into the water. The muscles will warm up, and it will be easier for you to carry the load.
4. Make sure you wear comfortable swimwear. Don't forget your special hat. It is important that nothing distracts you during the lesson.
5. The main thing is regularity. To achieve results and learn to swim well as a crawl, you need to visit the pool at least 3 times a week.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Among beginner swimmers, several typical mistakes are quite common, which significantly reduce the effectiveness of training:

1. The legs are bent at the knees. They must be straight, otherwise the intensity of swimming is noticeably reduced.
2. Strokes with straight arms. If the arms are not slightly bent at the elbows, then this greatly reduces the speed of the swimmer and leads to rapid fatigue.
3. Strong leaning to the side when rowing. The body must be kept straight, not bending it either to the left or to the right.
4. Breathing failure. This can lead to the fact that the body will not receive the necessary amount of oxygen, which will also negatively affect the result of swimming.

Swimming is a very useful sport. At the same time, the load on all muscles is uniform, which has a very good effect on the physical form and general health of a person. Such physical activity is recommended even to those people who for some reason are contraindicated in other sports.

That's all the secrets on how to swim crawl. The main thing is not to forget that any activity should bring positive emotions. Therefore, recharge with positive, tune in to victory, and forward to the Olympic results!