Front crawl technique checklist

Body

· Horizontal (head, hips, and heels at the surface)

· Posture (tall and proud)

Drill: Kick on the side

Head & Breathing

· Head down with eyes looking forward

· Long neck, slight tuck-in of chin

· Top of the head above water

· Continuous exhale through the nose & mouth

· Turns to the side with 1 goggle & ear in the water (head on a pillow)

Drill: Sink downs, different breathing patterns

Kick

· Kick from hip

· Toes pointed with feet turned slightly inwards

· Floppy feet

· Heels breaking surface

· Kick in the bucket

Drill: FINS - Kick on side, 6/1/6, vertical leg kick

Rotation

· Use hips for rotation

· Imagine you are climbing a ladder using hips

· Drill: FINS - Kick on side, 6/1/6, vertical leg kick

Recovery & Entry

· Relaxed hand & wrist out the water

· Recovery showing armpit, with elbow pointing up

· Fingers first entry, elbow higher than hand

· Enter in line with shoulder & reach directly forwards (train tracks)

Drill: Single arm drill with fins

Catch and Pull

Start of catch: Arm is at full extension in front of you under the water, fingers should be at armpit depth.

Catch: Fingers are pointing to the bottom of the pool & your arm should be in a high elbow catch position.

Power diamond: As your hand passes underneath your shoulder, your arm will make a half diamond shape if viewed front-on.

Exit: Hand exits just past your hip with your palm facing towards your feet Your elbow exits the water first.

Drill: Pull buoy Scull #1,2,3 & YMCA

Rhythm and Timing

· Movements are slow to fast: slower in front of the head for good set up, accelerate through the pull.

Thank you Effortless Swimmers for the checklist

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