Advisability on the shift from standard front crawl swimming technique to the “kayaking” and “loping” variants

Abstract

Purpose. The aim of this study was to analyze selected kinematics parameters of standard front crawl swimming technique and its variants, the "kayaking" and "loping", in order to estimate the differences that can determine swimming effectiveness and efficiency Methods. Eighteen swimmers, divided equally into three groups, took part in the research. The first group was composed of individuals who favored the standard technique, the second group used the "kayaking" variant and the third one swam in the "loping" variant. All swimmers were instructed to swim the 50 m freestyle with their technique of choice at maximum velocity. Analysis of kinematic parameters (time, average swimming velocity), swimming cycle parameters (stroke length, stroke rate), and the swimming efficiency coefficient (stroke index) was calculated using SIMI's 2D reality Motion Systems software. Results. The Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test found statistically significant differences in the studied parameters between the standard technique (S) and the "kayaking" (K) and "loping" (L) variants in the time to swim 25 m ( S = 15.472 s, K = 13.540 s, L = 14.108 s), and between (S) and (K) in the 15 m swim time ( St = 9.598 s, Kt = 8.593 s) and average swimming velocity ( Sv = 1.562 m/s, Kv = 1.757 m/s). Conclusions. Analysis of the differences in the kinematic parame ters that define front crawl swimming technique finds justification in the need to modify the standard technique of the propulsive movement used in swimming towards those that employ the "kayaking" and "loping" variants as they are more effective in affecting swimming velocity.

Gender effect on underwater undulatory swimming technique of young competitive swimmers

“…Based on stroke length and pace, it is possible to evaluate the technique of full stroke swimming [26]. In this manner, men and women perform movements at a similar rate, as reported by Seifert et al [17].…”

“…In addition to velocity, the most commonly used kinematic indicators serving the description of the full stroke movement of a swimmer is stroke length (SLdistance covered during one cycle of the upper limbs) and stroke rate (SR -number of full cycles performed per minute) [26]. The product SL and SR enable to determine velocity of a swimmer.…”

“…This means that they can achieve a higher velocity by simultaneously increasing the value of each of these variables or only one of them without modifying the level of the other one. It is worth mentioning, however, that increasing the length of stroke length is usually associated with a decrease in stroke rate [26].…”

Relationship between muscle strength and front crawl swimming velocity

“…However, this study shows that they can serve as a diagnostic tool when determining the role of leading muscle groups in various competitive swimming styles. In order to enhance the value of such data, future research should be performed on swimmers specializing in the front crawl and include the influence of various front crawl techniques on swimming velocity using kinematic analysis [13] as well as include a greater number of muscle groups with measurements performed in different dimensional planes.…”

Physical Activity in the Water Accompanied by Music

“…Therefore, the search for methods that drive positive changes in human behavior, manifested in an active leisure time in the aquatic environment, is of prime importance. To date, most of the activities associated with this dilemma have focused on improving movement techniques to enhance the efficiency of swimming [14,15].…”