Two ways to cut through water
Watch two swimmers side-by-side in a lane. Same pace, same 100-meter time. Yet, their strokes look different.
The first covers the pool in 14 arm strokes. Wide movements, noticeable glide between each catch, long and fluid propulsion. The second counts 22, fast rotation, high frequency, continuous propulsion. Two approaches. The same result.
This is the fundamental debate in crawl. Amplitude or frequency. Distance per stroke or cycle cadence. Lengthening the stroke or accelerating rotation. Both schools have their champions, their proponents, their biomechanical logic. But the question isn't which is better, it's which is yours.
“ Two approaches. The same result. ”
Amplitude: the art of gliding
Amplitude swimming is based on one principle: covering the maximum distance with each arm stroke.
The movement is long, stretched. After the catch, the arm pulls far behind the body before exiting. Between each cycle, a gliding phase, sometimes brief, sometimes pronounced, allows the body to coast on its momentum. The number of strokes per length is low: 12 to 16 in a 25-meter pool, for an efficient swimmer.
The advantage: economy. Fewer movements mean less energy expenditure per length. Each catch is deep, the pull complete, the mechanical efficiency high. Long-distance swimmers covering 1,500 meters or more favor it for this reason; it allows them to maintain a consistent speed without depleting reserves.
The risk: the glide. Too much glide between cycles creates propulsion gaps. Speed drops before being regained, and over 50 meters, these micro-decelerations are costly.
Amplitude swimming requires impeccable mechanics. If your catch is weak, you glide for a long time without getting much from each movement. It's a stroke where the quality of the motion takes precedence over its repetition.
Frequency: the art of rotation
In contrast, frequency swimming relies on the number of cycles. Arms rotate quickly. Shoulder rotation is rapid, aerial recovery is short, and the glide phase is almost non-existent.
The count rises: 20 to 28 strokes per 25 meters. The rhythm is constant, sustained, sometimes hypnotic. Propulsion never stops; when one arm pulls, the other is already in the catch position.
The advantage: instantaneous power. In sprinting, high frequency allows for reaching peak speeds that amplitude alone cannot generate. Acceleration is immediate. Propulsion is continuous.
The risk: energy cost. Turning quickly consumes more oxygen, stresses the shoulders more, and fatigues the cardiovascular system faster. Maintaining a high cadence beyond 200 meters requires exceptional physical condition.
Frequency swimming is more forgiving of technical imperfections; the volume of movements partially compensates for a poor catch. But it requires superior muscular endurance.
“ The question isn’t which is better, it’s which is yours. ”
The test: identify your profile
Here is a simple protocol, achievable alone with a stopwatch.
Step 1, Count your strokes. Swim 4 × 50 meters crawl at a moderate pace (80% of your max effort). Count the number of arm strokes per 25 meters. Calculate the average.
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Less than 16 strokes: dominant amplitude profile
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16 to 20 strokes: mixed profile
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More than 20 strokes: dominant frequency profile
Step 2, Measure your SWOLF. SWOLF is the sum of your time in seconds and your stroke count over 25 meters. Example: 18 seconds + 15 strokes = SWOLF 33. The lower the number, the more efficient your stroke. Swim 4 × 25 meters, note your average SWOLF, this is your reference.
Step 3, Test both extremes. A 50-meter swim forcing amplitude: stretch each movement to the maximum, glide between cycles. Then a 50-meter swim forcing frequency: turn quickly, minimize glide. Compare times and sensations.
The version that produces the best time and the best sensation is likely your natural dominant. But your dominant isn't a prison. It's a starting point.
What influences your profile. Size and wingspan play a role; a 1.90m swimmer naturally covers more distance per arm stroke. Shoulder flexibility matters: a wide rotation requires sufficient joint mobility. And temperament has its say; some swimmers prefer the metronomic rhythm of frequency, others the contemplative fluidity of amplitude.
Adapt according to distance
Your profile is not fixed. It adjusts to the race distance.
50 meters. Frequency dominates, regardless of your natural profile. Sprinting requires continuous and maximum propulsion. The world's best sprinters reach 55 to 60 cycles per minute, arms turning at an almost mechanical cadence.
100-200 meters. The transition zone. The challenge: start with high frequency, then find a sustainable pace for the second half of the race. Too much amplitude at the start, and you fall behind. Too much frequency, and you pay on the last 50 meters.
400 meters and beyond. Amplitude regains the advantage. Stroke economy becomes the absolute priority. Every unprofitable movement results in accumulated fatigue. The most effective long-distance swimmers maintain a stable DPS from the first to the last 100 meters; that's their signature.
Your stroke, your movement
There is no universal ratio between amplitude and frequency. There is your ratio, the one that corresponds to your morphology, your flexibility, your preferred distance, your way of being in the water.
The work involves finding this balance point, then refining it session after session. Counting, timing, feeling. Perfect amplitude is useless without sufficient frequency to maintain speed. The fastest frequency is useless if every catch is empty.
This is also why your equipment should never restrict your arm cycle, whether it's wide or fast. A fabric that is too rigid or too thick alters shoulder rotation, slows down aerial recovery, and weighs down the movement. With 41% elastane and 0.4 mm thickness, the DROP fabric accompanies every swimming style without imposing its own. It stretches with you, 85% in length, 110% in width, then returns, without memory, without resistance.
Your swim is unique. Your equipment must adapt to it, not the other way around. Find our pieces designed to support the movement without ever confining it.
“ Your swim is unique. Your equipment must adapt to it, not the other way around. ”
SHAPE THE WATER.
