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Does the flutter kick increase hand propulsion in front crawl swimming?
Kenta Homoto1,2, Tomohiro Gonjo3, Hideki Takagi1,2
1Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.
Sports Biomechanics
|November 11, 2024
Summary
The flutter kick significantly improves swimming velocity and stroke length but does not impact hand propulsion in front crawl. This suggests the kick primarily enhances overall performance rather than direct hand force generation.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Biomechanics
- Swimming Performance
Background:
- The front crawl stroke is a primary swimming technique.
- Understanding the contribution of different body movements, like the flutter kick and arm stroke, to propulsion is crucial for optimizing swimming performance.
- Previous research has explored various aspects of swimming biomechanics, but the specific impact of the flutter kick on hand propulsion requires further clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of the flutter kick on propulsive force generation during the front crawl stroke.
- To compare swimming performance parameters between a whole-body condition (including flutter kick) and an arm-only condition.
Main Methods:
- Eight male swimmers completed 20m front crawl trials under two conditions: Whole Condition (with flutter kick) and Arm Condition (without flutter kick).
- Trials were conducted at 70%, 80%, and 90% of maximum effort (T100%) to match stroke frequencies.
- Underwater 3D motion analysis and hand pressure measurements were used to calculate swimming velocity, stroke frequency, stroke length, hand speed, and hand propulsion.
Main Results:
- A significant main effect of condition was observed for swimming velocity and stroke length, which were higher (16.9-18.5%) and longer (17.3-19.5%) respectively in the Whole Condition compared to the Arm Condition.
- No significant interaction was found between the condition (Whole vs. Arm) and intensity (70-90% T100%) for any measured variable.
- Crucially, no difference in hand propulsion was detected between the two conditions, indicating the flutter kick does not influence hand propulsion.
Conclusions:
- The flutter kick significantly enhances overall swimming velocity and stroke length in front crawl.
- Despite improving overall performance metrics, the flutter kick does not directly increase the propulsive force generated by the hands.
- These findings suggest that the flutter kick contributes to swimming efficiency through mechanisms other than direct augmentation of hand propulsion.
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