Forwards-backwards hand velocity induced by the upper trunk rotation in front crawl strokes and its association with the stroke frequency.

The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of the upper trunk rotation consisting of roll-pitch-yaw to hand velocity in the forwards-backwards direction during front crawl strokes and to investigate the association of forwards-backwards hand velocity induced by the upper trunk rotation with stroke frequencies. Fifteen skilled swimmers with retro-reflective markers performed front crawl strokes in a swimming pool where a motion capture system was set. Forwards-backwards hand velocity solely induced by the upper trunk rotation was determined during the performance.

Contribution of upper trunk rotation to hand forward-backward movement and propulsion in front crawl strokes.

The study aims to test three hypotheses: (a) the rotation of the upper trunk consists of roll, pitch and yaw of frequencies harmonic to the stroke frequency of the front crawl stroke, (b) the rotation of the upper trunk generates back-and-forth movements of the shoulders, which enhances the movements of the stroking arms, and (c) the angular velocities of roll, pitch and yaw are associated with hand propulsion (HP). Front crawl strokes performed by twenty male swimmers were measured with a motion capture system. The roll, pitch and yaw angles about the three orthogonal axes embedded in the upper trunk were determined as three sequential Cardan angles and their angular velocities were determined as the three respective components of the angular velocity.