Craig Nicholson British Swimming Stroke Development Craig Nicholson British Swimming

Content British Swimming Swimming Pathway Fundamentals Stroke Development Measurable outcomes Rules

British Swimming Four aims: To ensure everyone has the opportunity to learn to swim To ensure everyone can achieve their own personal goals To ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy swimming as part of a healthy lifestyle To ensure we achieve gold medal success

Fundamentals The fundamental stage needs to be FUN and structured and is key to the overall development of a swimmer! What are the fundamental skills? ABCs (Agility, Balance, Coordination, Speed) RJT (Running, Jumping, Throwing) KGBs (Kinaesthetics, Gliding, Buoyancy, Striking with the body) CPKs (Catching, Passing, Kicking, Striking with an implement)

Fundamentals Skills/ Games Entry/ Exits Buoyancy/ Balance Kicking/ Coordination Breathing Streamlining Rotation/ Orientation Simon says Game Narrow Boats - Starting with feet on pool side, push and glide with long, stretched, streamlined body. Then try: to pool side; in a space; from the side; on front, back and side; roll over after pushing out. Mushroom Floats, Star Floats, streamline floats Blowing a ball - Move through the water blowing an egg flip. Then try: with a partner; to a partner; walking; kicking or using front paddle; swimming. Rotation relay – rotating front and back as often as possible Streamline – Traffic Cones – Pass the different colours by streamlining. Kicking dual – Huming underwater - Breathing

Freestyle Relaxed Hands And arm muscles High Elbow on Rotation Natural Head Position Eyes looking to catch High Elbow Catch Clean Hand Entry Flat Body Position Water Level at Hair Line

Freestyle 2/4/6Beat Kick Whip like extension from hip to foot Hips just below surface Long Body Position Accelerate through Stroke Head Steady through the stroke Hand Entry Thumb & forefinger Body Roll Side to side

Freestyle Drills Kicking on Side Face down (always maintain pressure of catch) 12 Beat Roll 6 Beat Roll 6 Beat Kick Catchup Finger Trail Thorpe (Shake wrist loose on recovery) Roof Reach Egg Roll

Backstroke Hand entry just inside shoulder width Straight arm recovery palm facing out Natural Head Position Alternating arm action Palms face down on catch Propulsion phase ends past the hip Flat & streamlined Position Water Level just under ears

Backstroke 6 Beat Kick Whip like extension from hip to foot Hips just below surface Long Body Position Accelerate through Stroke Loose ankles good flexibility Hand Entry little finger first Body Roll Side to side around centreline

Backstroke Drills Kicking on Side Face up (always maintain pressure of catch) 12 Beat Roll 6 Beat Roll Egg Roll Palms down (3 strokes then look at catch) 3 Sculls ( Sculling 3 times at the catch position of stroke) Robot (Slowing down recovery into stages) Corkscrew Cup Balancing Mid stroke Catch up (Strong leg kick needed)

Shoulders clear of water Butterfly Relaxed Hands And arm muscles Low Chin Small head movement Symmetrical Shoulders clear of water Extended Arms Flat Body Position Arms Low to water

Butterfly Ready for Catch Streamlined High Hips Flat Body Position Flat Back Position Extended Arms Soft Hand Entry (No Splash) Thumbs Enter First

Butterfly Drills Chest press on top of water, under water (Arms by side minimum kick) Chest press with Scull Double Arm Fly on Back Kicking on Side (always maintain pressure) 6 Kicks 1 Pull Biondi Drill (FUN) Underwater Kicking (4 Kick Rotation) Right – Left – Front (Many Variations,1-1-1/2-2-2/3-3-3/3-3-1, always breathe to the front) Flat Fly Pull (As Flat as possible slow & low recovery) Flight Time Power Drills On – Off

Breaststroke Submerged on recovery streamlined Pull body past arms not arms into body Eyes focused on a fixed point Simultaneous arms and legs Timing is critical Palms ready to catch at extension Catch outside shoulder width Keep elbows tight to body

Breaststroke Legs for propulsion not balance Raise heels to surface after propulsive phase Hips just below surface Body lifts naturally during insweep Accelerate through Stroke Good ankle flexibility needed Legs recover as arms move forward Elbows never below hands

Breaststroke Drills Hips, heels, Head – Kick and Swim Timing Under Lane Ropes 2 kicks 1 Pull Repeated Underwater phases - down / along / surface BR Arms Fly Kick Hands behind the back Kicking Heels to Hands Streamlined kicking no Board on the surface Breaststroke Distance Per Stroke Minimum Resistance Breaststroke kick holding the board vertical for resistance

Milestones By the end of this Stage X participants will be able to: 1. Complete a set lasting 400m (e.g.16 x 25m) on a specific turn around time set by the coach (e.g. 1.00min for each 25m). 2. Swim 400m continuously using one stroke. 3. Kick 25m backstroke with/without* using a board – *swimmer’s choice. 4. Kick 25m breaststroke with/without* using a board – *swimmer’s choice. 5. Kick 25m butterfly with/without* using a board – *swimmer’s choice. 6. Kick 25m front crawl with/without* using a board – *swimmer’s choice. 7. Perform a backstroke turn from 10m in to 15m out. 8. Perform a breaststroke turn from 10m in to 15m out. 9. Perform a butterfly turn from 10m in to 15m out. 10. Perform a front crawl turn from 10m in to 15m out.

Milestones By the end X Stage participants will be able to: 1. Complete a set lasting 800m (e.g. either 16 x 50m; 8 x 100m; 4 x 200m) on a specific turn around time set by the coach (e.g. 1.30min for 50m’s; 2.45min for 100m’s; 6.00min for 200m’s). 2. Swim 800m continuously choosing one stroke. 3. Swim a continuous 100m IM using legal turns. 4. Perform a 15m underwater kick on front in a streamlined position. 5. Perform a backstroke start then butterfly kick in a streamlined position underwater until 10m from the start point (wall), transfer into stroke and complete the remainder of the 25m.

Milestones 6. Perform a front crawl start, underwater kick in a streamlined position until a minimum of 10m from the start point (wall) is completed, transfer into stroke and complete the remainder of the 25m. 7. Perform a butterfly start, kick in a streamlined position until a minimum of 10m from the start point (wall) is completed, transfer into stroke and complete the remainder of the 25m. 8. Perform a breaststroke start, perform a 1½ pull underwater, transfer into stroke and complete the remainder of the 25m.

Milestones By the end of this Stage participants will be able to: 1. Complete a set lasting 1600m (either 16 x 100m; 8 x 200m; 4 x 400m) on a specific timed turn around set by the coach (e.g. 2mins 30seconds for 100m’s; 5mins 30 seconds for 200m’s; 12mins for 400m’s). 2. Swim 1500m continuously choosing one stroke. 3. Perform a continuous 100m IM kick without using a kick board. 4. Swim a continuous 200m IM using legal turns. 5. Perform a 15m under water butterfly kick on back or front in a streamlined position. 6. Perform a front crawl relay take over – as an incoming Swimmer. 7. Perform a front crawl relay take over – as an outgoing Swimmer.

FINA RULES Strokes Turns Starts

Thank you for listening Questions? craig.nicholson@swimming.org