(4) The Front Sweep/ In Sweep Phase

After the catch phase the front sweep is the follow through of the arms at the beginning of propulsion through the water. This is a pull like movement. Since the shoulders are at a flexed 90-degree position the swimmers arms are drawn toward the center of the body. During the front sweep the swimmers hands move inwards, backwards and upwards. This is also referred to as a “S” pull or underwater keyhole pull, this is illustrated in diagram 1. This way the swimmers hands enter the water through the catch phase and then coming down into the keyhole pull. During the pull hands are facing backwards towards the feet. The swimmers elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle and are slightly bent coming close to the swimmers ribcage in a fluid motion (Pink & Tibone, 2000).

Diagram 1. A swimmers hand entering the water, shoulder rotation with sculling hands coming towards the body in a keyhole motion. 

During the front sweep of the arms, the swimmers legs are simultaneously kicking in a dolphin kick to help the swimmers propulsion and acceleration through the water in an undulation movement. The feet are extended and toes pointed replicating that of a dolphin tail and has a whip like leg kick. The knees have a slight bend (seen in Diagram 2 & 3) and the hips initiate the wave like movement that continues through the swimmers torso.

Diagram 2. 

 

Diagram 3. 

The front sweep is the beginning of the swimmers hand propulsion through to the back sweep. Toussaint (2000) states that hand propulsion is very significant in butterfly and all swimming strokes as hand propulsion consists of drag and lift forces moving in the opposite direction to the fluid motion of the water.  In diagram 4, it illustrates a swimmers sculling hand moving through the water and the drag reaction that is made. This hand movement acts similar to a handle that the swimmer can pull under water to propel them forward.

The sculling movements of the hands have a curve when coming in towards the center of the body to create a lift like movement as it can be referred to in Newtons third law of action and reaction causing a lift force.

Diagram 4. A swimmers hand that is relatively straight hand and arm pull under the water creates a fluid stopping hand and with the greater surface stopping fluid motion, the hand increases drag and increases the propulsion the swimmer has in the water creating a drag force (Blazevich, 2012).