by Terry Laughlin

Strokes Made Simple

The most effective applications of propulsive force occur when the insweep and outsweep are made on a diagonal of 50 to 70 degrees. . . The patterns range in depth from 61 to 74 centimeters and in length from 29 to 45 centimeters." Well, there is your lesson on how a freestyle stroke is supposed to work. Now go try it.

That quote is typical of the content in most source books on swimming technique. These books are loaded with, among other things, minutely detailed descriptions covering every angle, degree and inch of movement in swimming.

It is no wonder so many fitness swimmers are intimidated by the thought of polishing their strokes. The advice they get makes efficient swimming sound like nuclear physics.

Coaches who usually have just Saturday and Sunday to get athletes swimming smoothly, need to spend their time teaching what really matters, nothing else.

Let's focus on the simpler and far more critical job of streamlining_adjusting your body position to minimize drag. For speed, it's at least twice as important as how your hand pulls you through the water.

If you get your body balanced (see my column in the Jan/Feb issue), then rotate your trunk and hips as you stroke, you'll move through the water pretty well, flawed stroke or not. Students at my camps have improved their speed and efficiency as much as 30 percent in two days, making few changes in their arm movements.

Here is a stroke-made-simple lesson:

Slice your hand in as soon as it passes your shoulder. Extend it in front as far as you can. Take your time about beginning your pull, and pull back straight under your body, neither too deep nor too close to your trunk. Then take your hand out of the water and do it with the other hand. You're swimming just fine.

Are there useful refinements beyond those mentioned? Of course. But they pay off far more if you're eyeing a berth on the Olympic team. Consider this: the typical novice is maybe 10 to 20 percent as efficient as a world-class swimmer, but can close most of the gap_to maybe a 30 percent spread_by simply improving body position, rotation and alignment.

Basic, sound swimming comes down to this: Lean into the water with your upper trunk (to balance) so your suit is just breaking the surface; rotate your hips around your spinal axis (to propel), getting them completely out of the way as each hand passes through. Think of your arms as extenders for increasing the length of your body line_which automatically makes you faster.

Happy laps.

Coach Laughlin holds his Total Immersion Masters Swim Camps throughout the year.