How do you perform the front crawl properly and effectively for water polo?

Question

I'm a freshman doing a summer high school water polo camp for a month, and I'm kinda doubting the way I do my front crawl stroke.

1. Do you extend your arms out all the way when you do the stroke, or do you bend your elbows the whole time?

2. Do you spread the palms of your hands out wide when they're underwater?

3. Should you keep the kicking of your legs in rhythm with your arm strokes?

4. Should you try not to splash when kicking your legs (keep them underwater)?

5. Should you try to put your head up for air as least as possible, or after every stroke?

Answer 1

Hello.  I was a Swimming Instructor, Swim Instructor Trainer, Lifeguard Instructor and Water Polo Player!

1.  Arm recovery should be mostly out of water for most efficiency, but in the heat of 'battle' you won't even be thinking about that!  The arm functions as a 'lever' in terms of the physics of swimming, and as such the elbows are bent through most of the stroke with the exception of the full front extension just after recovery.

2.  You cannot spread your palms (they come like that!).  For best efficiency the hands should be fairly relaxed with the fingers spread a little.

3.  Rhythmic Kicking coordinated with the arms is most efficient for front crawl.  However, you will spend a lot of time rotary-kicking which is essentially independant of arm movements.

4.  A splashy kick is usually the sign of an inefficient kick.  However when sprinting it is normal to sacrifice some efficiency for immediate power and speed.  As most of the time you will be sprinting, expect your kick to be fairly splashy.

5.  In distance swimming it is good to keep the head down and the whole body in a streamlined position.  Breathe rythmically to the side usually every 2nd arm cycle, or every cycle when sprinting.  In water-polo, however, it is important to keep the head up most of the time to maintain 'situational awareness' to know where your fellow players are, where the ball is, etc.  It is probably best to practice with a 'heads up' front crawl as that will be your most common position in a game.  You really don't need to think about your breathing much...it is more important to keep breathing as the excertion level is usually sustained at a high level.  With your head up most of the time you do not need to worry about coordinated breathing.

Hope that helps.