I have been studying videos of swimmers and find what was once called the "S" stroke has almost disappeard.
I have noticed that flyers use it. But crawl swimmers have modified it so much that it is almost gone.
Has it been replaced completely or was it an optical illusion? Did underwater film show us it did not exist.
Sculling or the "S" in swimming is important to peak swimming efficiency but it's been over-used and over-taught. It's important because the movement of the hand toward and away from the mid-line of the body allows the hand to move into still water (non-turbulent) and away from turbulent water (created by moving forward and by the hand itself). Keeping the hand moving through still water helps the hand leverage water (increases resistance or drag).
I'm not sure I buy this. After all, we know that swimming in turbulent water (i.e., another swimmer's wake) actually makes you swim faster, so why should you want your hand to always be in still water? My gut feeling is the s stroke is more the result of biomechanics in that it allows the hand to be at its optimal angle of attack with respect to the water for as long as possible as the rest of the body rotates throughout the stroke.
Sculling or the "S" in swimming is important to peak swimming efficiency but it's been over-used and over-taught. It's important because the movement of the hand toward and away from the mid-line of the body allows the hand to move into still water (non-turbulent) and away from turbulent water (created by moving forward and by the hand itself). Keeping the hand moving through still water helps the hand leverage water (increases resistance or drag).
I'm not sure I buy this. After all, we know that swimming in turbulent water (i.e., another swimmer's wake) actually makes you swim faster, so why should you want your hand to always be in still water? My gut feeling is the s stroke is more the result of biomechanics in that it allows the hand to be at its optimal angle of attack with respect to the water for as long as possible as the rest of the body rotates throughout the stroke.
