HOW CHAMPIONS DO IT

Researched, produced, and prepared by Brent S. Rushall, Ph.D., R.Psy.

THE TRAINING STROKE OF MURRAY ROSE (Circa 1960)

This record was made by Forbes Carlile at the 1960 Olympic Games Swimming Team training camp in Queensland, Australia.

Murray Rose has been mythologized as having had a "classic" stroke which has features worthy of emulation. It is popularly considered to be the forerunner of "modern" crawl-stroke technique as well as exhibiting several innovations.

Notable Features

• The hips rotate in unison with the shoulders.
• A classic two-beat kick is exhibited. Each kick occurs to counterbalance the large vertical component of the "repositioning" movement of the arm after entry. The vertical components of the arm action and kick cancel each other which results in the hips remaining high and the body level.
• Each arm demonstrates a long glide. There is a considerable period before propulsive/accelerational force is generated and the other arm has completed its propulsion. This inertial lag would cause the swimmer to slow considerably between force applications.
• There is a notable "elbow-up" position in the left arm (Frame #9). This initiates a period where the hand and forearm move in unison to produce drag forces. This is a significant feature.
• The right arm (Frames #12 to #17) exhibits a "dropped" elbow which could be related to the breathing action on the left side.
• The movement patterns of each arm are totally different. It is incorrect to depict Murray Rose as having exhibited a "particular" stroke. Which arm is his stroke?

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