Asymmetries produce yaw in breaststroke

Biography

Professor Ross Sanders is the Head of Exercise and Sport Science in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Sydney (since May 2013). Previously he was the Chair of Sport Science at The University of Edinburgh where he established the Centre for Aquatics Research and Education (CARE). His current research includes the causes and effects of asymmetries in swimming and aquatic exercise to improve coordination.

Synopsis

Swimmers seek to minimise resistive forces in swimming by maintaining ‘streamlined’ alignment. However, asymmetries in technique can generate torques about the vertical axis that cause yaw. The purpose of this study was to assess the patterns of yaw of breaststroke swimmers and to identify the asymmetries in the kinematics that contribute to yaw.