Why do swimming lesson concentrate on the 'crawl'

jupiter00

Why do swimming lessons concentrate on the crawl, why not the breast stroke? After taking lessons my self I eventually found the breaststroke was easier to learn, easier to breathe and less stressfull. I am now able to do backstroke and improving my crawl. I still see so many people, adults and kids and of course they can do the movements alright but then when it comes to taking a breath, they are swallowing water, standing up in the pool or going the length of the pool on a breath and collasping the other end! If you can't breathe its scary, co-ordination is lost and you're exhausted. I see my own little boy actually turns completely on his back to take a breath. I also notice most swimmwers actually do the breaststroke, its less strenous and easier to breathe. Maybe there is a good reason, perhaps someone can explain it?

Killgore Trout

It's easier to teach kids front crawl, starting off on legs and then introducing arms and breathing. I wouldn't fancy trying to teach b/s to 5 year old beginners.

To do it properly, breaststroke requires timing between the arm and leg bits to execute properly (kick - glide - arms). With front crawl the legs and arms don't need to be consciously coordinated, it just happens.

Breast stroke is slow and inefficient - front crawl is fast.

I suppose it depends on where you swim - most swimmers I see mainly do the front crawl, with a little bit of the other strokes thrown in to avoid monotony and repetitiveness.

There is also some thought that b/s is not great for the knees or neck.

Finally, besides competitive use, breaststroke is a bit of a granny's stroke

Tropheus

I agree, there is a lot of concentration the front crawl. I think one of the reasons is that it's probably that fastest stroke for most people. We can all do the breast stroke, but most of us do it badly and don't move very fast.

The problem is that the front crawl is very hard to master and can result in people packing it in rather than sticking with it. It can also lead to shoulder injuries if technique is bad over a period of time.

Clseeper

Most teachers/coaches have different styles or elements of any stroke that they focus on. It’s interesting to watch competitive clubs compete; sometimes it’s easy to see that certain clubs are stronger in kick or another aspect of the strokes. The prevalence of frontcrawl as the first stroke taught is mainly down to legacy and the way teachers are taught to teach. Having said that it is rare that the crawl is taught in isolation. Teachers should introduce the basic skills of all the strokes for a number of reasons; variety, correct muscle development, swimmers differing skills etc. Traditionally the two crawl strokes are just easier to teach.

Having said all that, there are a few reasons I like to progress the frontcrawl quicker than other strokes:

1. Develops confidence early (face in water, having to stand up etc)
2. Forces more rapid increase in fitness & lung capacity due to face in water
3. Simple, well broken down skills to build on – nice progression
4. Movements are relatively simple (timing isn’t as critical as brs or fly)

A good question by the OP and obviously with adults, flexibility needs to be there. All down to a good teacher.

jupiter00

Alot of the swimmers I have seen do the breaststroke, so killgore many men and young women 18 -30 wold be insulted as being referred to as grannies!!!!
It does call for flexibility, some strokes suit different people, I like to vary cos it's boring with the same stroke, my knees hurt if i do continous b/s only, my daughter likes b/s, my son prefers crawl and back stroke, but he has difficulty with breathing which I notice with all the learners. As op has said it calls for flexibility as there will be more success if people are offered different possibilities, surely you wouldn't want people to keep taking lessons forever...........they will just give up. I say try different strokes and don't give up.

Burkatron

jupiter00 wrote: »

Alot of the swimmers I have seen do the breaststroke, so killgore many men and young women 18 -30 wold be insulted as being referred to as grannies!!!!
It does call for flexibility, some strokes suit different people, I like to vary cos it's boring with the same stroke, my knees hurt if i do continous b/s only, my daughter likes b/s, my son prefers crawl and back stroke, but he has difficulty with breathing which I notice with all the learners. As op has said it calls for flexibility as there will be more success if people are offered different possibilities, surely you wouldn't want people to keep taking lessons forever...........they will just give up. I say try different strokes and don't give up.

Majority of these people most likely swim the stroke incorrectly, with little or no intensity, thats where the Granny reference is coming from (I'd say).Breast stroke swam like this will cause more problems (& doesn't offer much of a work out in comparison) then front crawl or back stroke swam incorrectly so in the long run they'd be better off putting there energy into learning these strokes.

Definitely different strokes should be thought in swimming lessons but whats the point in teaching a class breast stroke if they haven't learned front crawl or back stroke to a reasonable level because 1 or 2 people have a preference for it? (also taking into account reasons above).

Killgore Trout

Burkatron wrote: »

Majority of these people most likely swim the stroke incorrectly, with little or no intensity, thats where the Granny reference is coming from (I'd say)

Yes - froggie paddle.

Breaststroke should of course be taught - ultimately front crawl is the bread and butter of swimming and it's going to take up the most time in swimming lessons - this is going to be the way it is in every swimming class you go to.

I dunno where you're coming from with the "difficulty breathing" with all the learners thing, op. Surely the kids aren't turning blue or being pulled out of the water in need of resuscitation. Some thing are just difficult, doesn't mean it shouldn't be learned.

If you're not happy with the swimming lessons your kids are being given, maybe have a word with the teacher or find an alternative class. Maybe read a book while the lessons are on and have a bit of faith that the teacher actually knows what she's doing.

Clseeper

I'll admit to calling breastroke the granny stroke at times Due to the low intensity and head always out of the water so they can chat as they swim. Always in good fun though - am a breaststroker myself.

It's basically due to the fact that the brs was historically swam (even competitively) with your head clear of the water. Can't remember but it has been recently enough (<15yrs) that the more modern stroke as we know it was allowed under FINA rules.

On that fact, has anyone seen when the backstroke was essentially a brs kick and double arms - quite strange bit I still see some older people swim it like that.

Tropheus

Clseeper wrote: »

I'll admit to calling breastroke the granny stroke at times Due to the low intensity and head always out of the water so they can chat as they swim. Always in good fun though - am a breaststroker myself.

If you do the breaststroke with your head always out of the water then you're not doing it properly.

Not being smart, but do a search on youtube and you'll see how it should be done properly. It does speed the stroke up considerably.

Burkatron

Clseeper wrote: »

I'll admit to calling breastroke the granny stroke at times Due to the low intensity and head always out of the water so they can chat as they swim. Always in good fun though - am a breaststroker myself.

It's basically due to the fact that the brs was historically swam (even competitively) with your head clear of the water. Can't remember but it has been recently enough (<15yrs) that the more modern stroke as we know it was allowed under FINA rules.

On that fact, has anyone seen when the backstroke was essentially a brs kick and double arms - quite strange bit I still see some older people swim it like that.

Old English Backstroke, I've never seen anyone do that! It'd be a bit mental to watch!!

Clseeper

Ksimpson: My quoted reference is an explanation of how ‘grannies’ perform the stroke, with their heads clear of the water so they can continue their chatting – not a description of my actual stroke.

Burkaton: Not something I’ve competed in my swimming career, thankfully nowhere near that old. But I have seen it once at a masters gala in the older ages groups. Obviously swimmers whom had learnt that way and never changed to the newer crawl. Glad someone else remembers it.

mark 1

They teach them crawl first because its the most important stroke and if you can master it you can do breaststroke and backstroe a lot better.

Unpossible

Burkatron wrote: »

Old English Backstroke, I've never seen anyone do that! It'd be a bit mental to watch!!

My father does it in masters galas. His regular backstroke is terrible and because he is more of a breaststroker he is actually faster using old english.

Clseeper wrote:

Can't remember but it has been recently enough (<15yrs) that the more modern stroke as we know it was allowed under FINA rules.

I haven't heard of that before, but I know 18 years ago when I started swimming compeditively breastroke was swam the same as now in regards to the head.


Forgot to answer the OP.
I have found when teaching adults that they had huge difficulty getting to grips with breastroke. One or two people in the class will instantly pick it up while most of the rest will struggle with the legs going nowhere or wondering why they are not getting as much power as they do in crawl. Breastroke is incredibly technical and its very easy to do something illegal (in competition terms).