KINEMATICAL ANALYSIS OF SWIMMING FREESTYLE HAND-PATH WITH AND WITHOUT HAND-PADDLES

Abstract

Kinematic characteristics of front crawl arm stroke performed with and without hand-paddles were studied. For that purpose the lighttrace method was used in a sample of 6 male junior and senior swimmers. Underwater paths on the sagittal plan of the medium finger and corresponding hand-paddle spot were photographed. A Cannon underwater camera, set in bulb position, with a 35mm objective was placed at 20cm depth and at a 5m distance with the optical axis perpendicular to the displacement axis of the swimmer. Lightening device was composed by a 6v, 0.05A, lamp, powered by a 9v battery. Photos were digitized using a Calcamp digitizing table, the Sigma Scan software and a PC computer. Total distance travelled by the lights in the sagittal plan and horizontal amplitudes of paths were significantly different (p<0.05). Vertical amplitudes were not significantly different. Results suggest that hand-paddles are not completely specific overcharge devices for swimmers.