bracciata

Bracciata is the arm stroke used in swimming to propel the body through water. The term, from braccio (arm) with the -ata suffix indicating an action, is used to describe the phase in which the swimmer's arms move through the water during propulsion. The bracciata is coordinated with the leg kick and breathing to achieve propulsion and balance.

In most competitive strokes the arm movement is analyzed as four phases: entry and catch, where the hand enters the water ahead of the shoulder and the forearm angles to catch water; pull, in which the elbow stays high and the hand travels a path toward the hip to push water backward; finish or push, which completes the propulsion; and recovery, when the arm exits the water and returns forward to re-enter.

Strokes vary in how the bracciata is executed. In crawl (stile libero) and backstroke (nuoto dorso), the bracciata is alternating between arms, enabling continuous propulsion. In breaststroke (rana), the arms move in a simultaneous circular sweep outward and inward toward the chest, finishing with a glide. In butterfly (farfalla), the arms move together in a symmetric two-arm bracciata followed by a quick recovery above the water.

Efficiency depends on keeping the elbow high during the pull, maintaining a broad catch, minimizing drag in the recovery, and coordinating the movement with breath and kick. Common faults include a dropped elbow, crossing the midline, or late entry. Training drills such as high-elbow drills, catch-up, fingertip drag, and sculling are used to improve bracciata technique.