The Symphony Of Movement In Water

Ever marvelled at how effortlessly some animals navigate through water? Sea creatures and marine life instinctively tap into the energy of water to propel themselves smoothly, efficiently, and at extraordinary speeds.

Similarly, swimmers have begun to harness the power of water, borrowing elements from nature and the aquatic environment to propel their swimming to new heights.

It's awe-inspiring to witness as they adapt and manoeuvre with the natural flow of water.

What Is The Natural Flow Of Water?

The natural flow of water is the rhythmic motion of the waves and mesmerizing ripples we see spreading across the water’s surface…and just below.

Swimmers can mimic the aquatic movements seen in nature and leverage this motion to enhance their swimming.

Click Here To Watch It On YouTube Video

Harnessing The Natural Flow Of Water

By harnessing water's natural flow, World Champs and record breakers have elevated the unorthodox Gallop Freestyle to a new level which I've dubbed as 'Fluid Motion Freestyle'. This fluid motion style Freestyle allows these swimmers to effortlessly fly up and over the water as they swim to dominate in their lanes.

Elite swimmers (Phelps, Ledecky, Popovici, and Evans to name a few) understand the power of the natural flow of water and have gained themselves a competitive edge by using 'Fluid Freestyle'.

So how do they harness the natural flow of water?

THEY UNDULATE

The Evolution Of Freestyle

By undulating during their galloping stroke swimmers can harness the natural flow of water and propel themselves forward like a stone skipping across the surface rather than using the linear pulling motion of regular Freestyle.

The evolution of Freestyle does not adhere to the traditional rules of classic Freestyle. It requires doing the stuff the swimming coaches told us strictly not to do…

Errors Or Deliberate Mistakes?

Elite swimmers using 'Fluid Freestyle' are breaking several rules of the accepted view of swimming:

· x bobbing up and down,

· x dropped hips,

· x eyes forward,

· x lifting the head to breathe,

· x arched bodyline,

· x burying the face after the breath,

· x elevated torso,

· x overreaching,

· x slingshot recovery,

· x pulling under the body,

· x asymmetrical arm recovery,

· x uneven catch and pull;

but they are also BREAKING RECORDS.

So why do they do it?

The Future Of Freestyle Is Butterfly

Swimmers are gravitating toward this almost forbidden hybrid stroke because it is both dynamic and powerful. 'Fluid Freestyle' takes the Gallop Freestyle one step further by following the natural flow of water as the swimmer propels forward. It incorporates the elements inspired by the undulating movement of BUTTERFLY.

Rather than restricting themselves to the lateral pulling motion of symmetrical Freestyle, the pioneering style incorporates the mixed stop-start vertical motion of swimming Fly combined with the rapid horizontal rotation of Freestyle.

These swimmers, and their coaches, understand the vertical movement of their stroke is an asset rather than something that needs to be corrected. They utilise both lateral and vertical rotation to their advantage, corkscrewing through the water as opposed to hammering through the water with their weight evenly transferring from side to side with regular Freestyle

The ‘pause’ or loss of propulsion observed in the graphs is not a loss of velocity, but rather the moment when swimmers are literally flying over the water.

Breaking Down The Stroke

To master this next-level fluid motion Freestyle, swimmers must understand its components.

The swimmers sit high in the water, anchor their catch, and lift themselves (eyes forward) out of the water (turning the head to the side to breathe), quickly followed by driving the head back down under the bow wave after the breath as the lead arm swings over and enters the water at full extension and maximum acceleration. Sound familiar? It should because this is Butterfly being swum as Freestyle.

Just like in Butterfly, the wave-like motion of the undulation starts at the fingertips passes through the core and culminates with a surge point kick. They accelerate and ride the natural flow of water as the wave passes through their body.

The ‘hitch’ in their stroke is their ability to ‘skip’ over and under the surface. Whilst it can look exhausting, the combined effect of rotating side to side, breathing up and down, and harnessing the effects of gravity makes it a very energy-conserving way to swim.

Momentum is everything, the faster they ‘skip’ the less energy they use.

Test it and try it; you’ll soon feel what I mean.

The Rise Of The Undulation

Undulation is now known as the fifth stroke used predominantly during starts and when swimmers leave the wall.

But it is now permeating its way through each competitive stroke, including Breaststroke, the Backstroke finish and start, Butterfly, and now Freestyle.

Next-level 'Fluid Freestyle', with its focus on harnessing the natural flow of water through the undulation, has ushered in a new era of swimming. By embracing this innovative technique, not stifling it, swimmers can unlock untapped potential and elevate their performance to unprecedented levels.

Swimmers who fail to undulate risk being left behind in the wake of their competitors.

0 comments

The Swim Speed Equation

Teaching In Shallow Water

Synergistic Swimming

Special Needs Adaptive Swimming

Hyponatremia

See all posts from Born To Swim