Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Sta. Mesa, Manila

Individual/Dual/Combative Sports-Swimming
PHED 1282

Term Paper about Swimming

Submitted by:
John Mark C. Ledesma
BSA 2-21
Submitted to:
Dr. Carolina A. Panganiban

Bobbing
The technique of bobbing helps swimmers to breathe properly. When you swim, you inhale
through your mouth when your face is above water and exhale through your mouth or nose when your
face is underwater. Beginners often panic during the underwater phase and hold their breath. By exhaling
a steady stream of bubbles as you swim, you can avoid this type of tension and focus on performance.
drills you can use to become familiar with proper breathing technique while swimming. This is useful
because when you take up swimming, learning proper breathing technique is often one of the major
challenges one faces besides learning how to float. Once you have good breath control and have

learned proper swimming technique, breathing often fits in seamlessly with your stroke and
relaxed swimming becomes possible.

Blowing bubbles underwater is a good exercise to learn breath control

Basic Breathing Tips

First, a few general tips:
1.

Wear swimming goggles. Without goggles, water gets in your eyes and irritates them.
Furthermore, water in the eyes makes you nearly blind, which can lead to anxiety. On the other
hand, you have one thing less to worry about when you use swimming goggles. As a
consequence you are more relaxed and learning proper breathing technique is easier.

2.

In those swim strokes where you submerge your head, dont hold your breath but exhale
continuously when your face is in the water. If you do this well, your lungs should be nearly
empty when you rotate or lift your head to breathe again.
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3.

Inhale quickly when your mouth clears the water. This should occur naturally if you have
exhaled properly in the water before, as explained above.

Learning How to Float

If you cant swim, you might believe that in the water you would sink to the ground like a stone.
However, this isnt true. In fact it is very easy to float in the water as long as your lungs are filled
with air.

Different Types of Float

Turtle float
- Turtle float swimming, the face, raise
the knees and encircle the knees with
recover standing position, the legs are
the body raised to an upright position.

arms.
To
extended and

Prone float
- a floating position
with the face down and arms
stretched forward.

Back float
- a floating position on
one's back with arms extended
out to the sides and face
upward.

Gliding

Gliding is a streamlined, arrow-like position as the body moves through the water with no arm or leg
action. Can be performed on the water's surface or below it, and on the front or back. Gliding while
swimming happens before a stroke begins, between strokes, after a flip turn or at the end of a lap. Proper
gliding technique allows a swimmer to maintain momentum while preparing for the next stroke. Gliding
also offers a good workout for strengthening the bodys core muscles. Proper gliding technique can
improve overall swimming rhythm and increase the rate of swimming strokes, providing an effective
cardiovascular workout. The following are the Steps in Gliding :
1.

Grasp the fingers of one hand with the fingers of your other hand by placing the fingers of your first hand
on top of the other with your thumb underneath. Bend your knees and push off the pool wall with your feet,
straightening your entire body in the water with your clasped hands out in front and your head tucked

tightly between your arms. Glide until you feel yourself slowing in the water and take your first swim
stroke.
2.

Separate each swim stroke by a brief glide. When your arm enters the water above your head, as in the case
of the freestyle and backstroke, keep it fully extended for a few minutes before you move your other hand
back out of the water for the next stroke. This will keep your pace steady and increase your momentum in
the pool.

3.

Glide with your body straight in the water, hands out in front, after each flip turn. Use your legs muscles to
push firmly off the wall and straighten your body until you feel your momentum slow slightly; then take
the next stroke.

4.

Practice streamlining your glide to help make gains in your swimming pace. Keeping the arms straight with
your head tucked tightly between them while pointing your toes and keeping your knees straight and
together can help reduce lag and improve the quality and effectiveness of each swim stroke.

5.

Use the mid-swim glide drill to gauge your posture, line and balance while swimming. Do this by finishing
one of your strokes in a side-glide position. Leave the arm that just finished pulling at rest by your side
while the other arm stays extended out in front. Your nose should still be pointed at the bottom of the pool.
Without kicking, see how far you can glide on momentum alone until you come almost to a complete stop.

Learning the Flutter Kick

The flutter kick is a simple yet effective swimming technique where your legs execute kind of a
whipping motion. As a beginner you should learn to do this technique in a prone and in a supine
position. Youll be then able to use the flutter kick to tread water and to swim dog paddle. Later
on, youll use this technique while swimming backstroke and the freestyle stroke. Right
executions of Flutter Kick are the Following:
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1. Hold onto a pool wall or lane marker. Grasp a wall of the pool, a lane marker, or another
stationary object that allows you to extend your body in the water behind it. Hold your
arms out straight from the wall, with the rest of your body as horizontal as possible in the
water.
2. Push one leg down in the water. Flex the hip of one leg slightly to push the leg down, and
continue the motion down the leg by slightly bending the knee and powerfully pushing
down with the top of the foot.
3. Repeat with the opposite leg. Let the first leg float up in the water while you repeat the
same kick with the opposite leg, remembering to drive the downward motion from the
hip and push with a pointed toe.
4. Continue alternating legs to kick. Keep kicking one leg down while the other floats up,
and increasing the speed until you are alternating quickly.

Two Types of Flutter Kick

Flutter kick
- A vertical leg movement
in which the legs move
alternately. The flutter kick
is a basic skill in swimming, used to
stabilize and propel your body
forward in the water with your

legs.

Inverted flutter kick

- This is simply a
backwards version of
flutter kicks and is great
for the lower back. Lie on
your back and lift your
legs off the ground one at a
time in a flutter kicking
motion.
Execute
a
backstroke by positioning
yourself face-up in the
water and finding a balanced
horizontal position in the
water. Alternate rotating
same way as a freestyle stroke.

your

arms

in

the

American Crawl or Freestyle

The American crawl combines a relaxed flutter kick with a rotary arm motion and rhythmic
breathing. It is the fastest stroke but can consume considerable energy. The stroke is most efficient if the
head remains supported by the water. The head is turned to the side to inhale and rotated down to exhale.
Power is improved if the lower arm is bent and swept across the chest rather than rotated in a vertical arc.
The kick should generate enough power to push you through the water without using your arms. The feet
should not slap the surface of the water.

American crawl or freestyle

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- is a swimming stroke usually regarded as the fastest of the four front primary strokes. As such,
the front crawl stroke is nearly universally used during a freestyle swimming competition. It is one of two
long axis strokes, the other one being the backstroke. Also known as the Australian crawl or American
crawl, is a swimming stroke usually regarded as the fastest of the four front primary strokes.As such, the
front crawl stroke is nearly universally used during a freestyle swimming competition, hence freestyle is
used metonymically for the front crawl. It is one of two long axis strokes, the other one being the
backstroke. Unlike the backstroke, the butterfly stroke, and the breaststroke, the front crawl is not
regulated by the FINA. This style is sometimes referred to as the Australian crawl although this can
sometimes refer to a more specific variant of front crawl.

Armwork in American crawl - Maximise the efficiency of your stroke by

completing the whole arm action and not bringing your arm out of the water before it reaches your leg.

Keep your elbow slightly bent as you reach your hand in front of your body to enter the
water.
Entry should be between the centre line of the head and the shoulder line and the hand should
be directed with the palm facing down and out so the thumb first enters the water first.
Dont start pulling back as soon as your hand is in the water you should give yourself room
to reach forward under the water before you start to bring your hand back to the body.
After entering the water, the arm should perform a three-sweep motion.
With your elbow slightly bent, sweep forward, then back towards the centre of the body, then
out towards the thighs imitating an hour glass shape.
Maximise the efficiency of your stroke by completing the whole arm action and not bringing
your arm out of the water before it reaches your leg.

Armwork in backstroke - The arm action is continuous and alternating. There are
four parts to the arms in backstroke which are the entry, catch, propulsive phase and recovery which I will
discuss in more detail.

Lead with your thumb as your arm comes out of the water. The arm should be lifted out by
the movement of the shoulders not the other way round.
Your little finger should enter the water first with your arm straight and your palm facing
outwards. Your arm should pass by your ear before entering the water between the shoulder line
and the centre line of the head.
Dont immediately pull with your hand after it enters the water this will create resistance.
Instead, turn your palm so it is facing the bottom of the pool and scull your hand outwards
and downwards until it reaches a position in a line between your upper chest and shoulders with
your elbow bent.
At this point, rotate your hand again so your palm is facing towards your feet, then push
through the water until your arm is fully flexed by the thigh and ready to be lifted out of the
water again by the rotation of the shoulders.

Surface Dives
Some drowning victims must be
recovered from below the surface of the water.
Swimming downward for any distance is hard
because your body is lighter than water and will
float upward. If you try to swim straight down,
you will waste energy and breath that are needed
for victim recovery. Instead, practice the surface
dives described in this section until you can
easily reach bottom in 8 feet of water. Take only
one or two deep breaths before you dive.
Breathing too deeply for too long can lead to
hyperuentilation. Your body uses the amount of
carbon dioxide in your blood to trigger the desire
to breathe. After hyperventilation, it is possible
for you to run out of oxygen and black out
underwater, before carbon dioxide levels rise
enough to warn that you need more air.
You probably have noticed a slight pain in your ears when you swim near the bottom of a deep pool. The
increased pressure of the water against your eardrums causes the discomfort. The feeling may have
disappeared if you swallowed or wig-gled your jaw. If air is free to travel from your lungs to your inner
ear, then the pres-sure will be equal on both sides of your eardrum and you won't feel any difference.
Some people equalize automatically; others, especially if suffering from a cold, can-not equalize at all.
If you are trying to recover a victim in deep water, you must return to the sur-face if the pain in your ears
becomes intense, even if the person is in sight. If you ignore the pain, your eardrum might rupture. That
could cause you to lose your sense of direction and possibly to black out. Then there would be two people
to rescue instead of one.

Feetfirst Surface Dive

Use the feetfirst surface dive whenever you can't clearly see what is beneath you. At the surface, begin in
a vertical position with your arms extended out-ward. Push down with your arms while using a scissors
kick to push upward. Try to lift your body as far out of the water as possible. The weight of your body out
of the water will then drive you downward. Straighten your legs and push up with your hands as you start
toward the bottom. Do not lift your arms too quickly; they should push against the water rather than break
the surface.

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Headfirst Surface Dive

You can use the headfirst surface dive when the water is deep and clear. The dive is easier to do if you
begin while moving forward with a breaststroke. As you finish an arm pull, your hands will be to the side
and your legs straight back. Without stopping, scoop down-ward with your arms as you bend at the waist
and lift your legs into the air. Then extend your arms in front of your head. The object is to point your
entire body toward the bottom with your legs above the surface. Again, the weight of your legs above the
water drives you downward. The headfirst surface dive also is known as a ''pike'' if you keep your legs
straight the entire time. It is a ''tuck'' if you bring your legs toward your body while you bend downward
and then straighten them into the air. Keep your arms extended to protect your head as you dive.

Sculling
Sculling is a basic swimming technique where
you use quick horizontal movements of the arms
in the water to maintain your head above the
water surface. You float in a vertical position
with your arms extended sideways at shoulder
level, elbows slightly bent. You keep the water at
shoulder level by quickly sculling back and forth
with your arms.

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Once you can scull water you will feel at ease in any pool

Sculling Water Technique

You will use a similar technique to scull water with your arms. Do the following:

Extend your arms sideways below the surface, with your elbows slightly bent.

Rotate your forearms 45 forward and move your arms forward, pushing water forward and
downward with your forearms and palms. Keep your arms close to the water surface.

Invert the movements when your hands are about to touch in front of you. Rotate your forearms
backward and move your arms outward and backward. You will now push water downward and
backward.

Once you cannot move your arms farther backward, reverse the direction and move your arms
forward.

The pressure of your forearms and palms against the water creates some lift and allows you to
keep your head above the water surface

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Four Major Strokes in Swimming

Freestyle
In freestyle swimming events, as
the name implies, the stroke used is not
limited

by

any

particular

technique.

Swimmers in freestyle events are free to

use any stroke they wish, it is just that the
stroke that is commonly called freestyle
(which is also known as the front crawl or
Australian crawl), is the fastest swimming
stroke. The only limits is that only 15
meters can be swum underwater (from the
start and from each turn), otherwise some
body part must always be above the water. It requires the movement of one arm at a
time, with a face lift on either side to facilitate breathing, and a leg motion similar to a
flutter kick which propels the body forward, piercing through the water.

Backstroke

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The backstroke is the only type of

swimming

stroke

that

requires

the

individual to already be in the water

before start, that is, it cannot incorporate
diving in its style of swimming. In a back
stroke, the swimmers back faces the
surface of the swimming pool, with the
face and the upper body floating on the
surface of the water, making breathing the
easiest of all swim strokes. Similar to the
front crawl, in a back stroke you perform the same flutter kick along with an alternative
rotating arm movement to add balance and propulsion to the stroke. At the start and first
stroke and kick after a turn, the swimmers are allowed one arm stroke and one leg kick.
At all other times the swimmer's head must be kept above the surface of the water. No
dolphin, scissors or flutter kicks are allowed, nor tumble turns.

Butterfly
The butterfly stroke is the newest
out of all the types of swimming
strokes available to date. When
swimming the butterfly stroke, the
swimmers must keep their
shoulders in line with the surface of
the water, and make arm and leg
movements together. They also
must not swim underwater, except
for the first stroke after the start and
each turn. Only 15 meters are
allowed underwater at the start and
after each turn, and the wall must
be touched with both hands. It is said to be one of the fastest swim strokes, in fact, only
second in line right after the front crawl. The butterfly stroke requires an intense amount
of upper body strength, making it one of the most challenging types of swimming
strokes, which is mostly used by professionals and barely ever for recreational
purposes.

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Breaststroke
It is a swimming stroke in which a person lies face down in the water, extends the arms in front
of the head, pulls the arms back under
the surface of the water, and then
performs a frog kick. The breast stroke
has to be the slowest and the least
efficient of the 4 types of swimming
strokes. In a breast stroke the arms
and the legs move in a simultaneous
fashion, with the core of the propulsion
being provided by the legs and the
feet. The feet are submerged under
water, and the arm movement in a
breast stroke is probably the least
impactful among all the 4 competitive
types of swimming strokes.

Kinds of Swimming Equipments

and Its Uses
1. Swimming cap
A swim cap, swimming cap or bathing cap, is a
tightly fitted, skin-tight garment, commonly made
from silicone, latex or lycra, worn on the head by
recreational and competitive swimmers. Caps are
worn for various reasons. Some facilities require the
wearing of swim caps, in order to protect filters from
becoming clogged with loose hairs which fall from the
head of swimmers who are not wearing a cap, or to ensure long loose hair does
not get caught in equipment. Caps are also sometimes worn in an attempt to
keep hair relatively dry or protect from chlorinated water, to keep the sun off the
hair, and also, when a cap is worn with ear plugs, in order to keep water out of
the ears.

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2. Goggles
Most pools contain high levels of chlorine or other
chemicals to help keep the water free of bacteria
and control the growth of algae in the water.
However, chlorine can irritate the eyes. Goggles
allow you to see while your head is immersed in
the water, without having to worry about chlorine
irritation.

3. Swimsuit or trunks
A swimsuit or swimming trunks for men, is an item
of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in
a

water-based

activity

or water

sports,such

as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing

etc.

4. Earplugs
An earplug is a device that is made up of rubber is
meant to be inserted in the ear canal to protect the
user's ears from loud noises or the intrusion of water,
foreign bodies, dust or excessive wind.

5. Nose clip
Swimming nose clips (also called nose plugs) are
those little pieces of bent wire padded with rubber
that you can stick on your nose and that are designed
to keep the water out by squeezing the nostrils
together.

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6. Kickboard
Swimming boards (often referred to as kickboards)
are a flotation aid used to develop a swimmer's kicking
action. They can be used on all strokes but are
primarily used on Freestyle, Butterfly
stroke and Breaststroke. Swimmers of all ability can
use them. Young swimmers can develop their kicking action while elite swimmers
can refine their kick. They are also used to strengthen swimmers legs.

7. Power Paddle
Swim paddles are tools used to provide more
resistance in the water when swimming or doing
water aerobics. Swimming with paddles is a great
way to build upper-body strength for a more
powerful underwater catch, pull and finish. A paddle
with a surface area that is larger than your hand will
provide an increase in resistance through the water.
Hand paddles can teach you how to use swimspecific muscles more effectively.

8. Fins
Using flippers will improve a swimmers body
position and their technique. When a swimmer
uses fins, they can move faster through the water
and their body will sit higher in the water. For
those who have a poor kick, or their legs
sink, their feet will stay higher in the water helping
them to stay in a more streamlined position. Fins
will help you to increase your ankle flexibility. If
you can increase the range of motion in your ankles you will move forward more
quickly through the water.

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9. Pull buoy
A pull buoy or leg float is a figure-eight shaped
piece of closed-cell foam used in swim workouts.
Swimmers place the buoy between their thighs or
their ankles to provide support to the body without
kicking their legs; this allows the swimmer to focus on
training

only

their

arms

and

developing

both

endurance and upper body strength. Using the pull buoy gives the arms a more
focused workout by providing flotational support for hips and legs.

References:
http://swimminglessonsideas.com/2015/02/25/how-to-teach-swimming-lessons-back-glide-script/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/481850-what-is-sculling-in-swimming/
https://www.swimoutlet.com/guides/how-to-float-for-swimming
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backstroke
http://www.swimsmooth.com/exhalation.html
http://livehealthy.chron.com/bubbling-swimming-8939.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_stroke
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drownproofing
http://livehealthy.chron.com/glide-swimming-9613.html
http://www.enjoy-swimming.com/flutter-kick.html
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http://www.enjoy-swimming.com/flutter-kick-1.html
http://www.swimming.org/masters/improving-front-crawl-technique/
http://www.swimsmooth.com/breathing.html
http://www.swimsmooth.com/catch.html
http://www.swimming.org/masters/improving-your-backstroke-technique/
http://www.wikihow.com/Flutter-Kick

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