The Combat Sidestroke for the Navy Physical Screening Test: Do You Need to Learn Both Sides?

The elementary sidestroke or the combat sidestroke (here’s video showing the difference) has what is called a “strong side” and a “weak side.” It’s like being right- or left-handed: one side will feel more comfortable when you learn this military swim test stroke. 

These “underwater recovery strokes,” performed without fins, are used in the Navy Physical Screening Test (PST). They often challenge new recruits during their preparation training. Here is a question from a recruit getting ready to take his first official PST and wondering if it matters to learn both sides or not:

Hey Stew, is using my strong and weak sides of the CSS mandatory for the PST, or is it just a good habit for later use? Is it acceptable to only swim the CSS for the PST on my strong side? Thanks, Holden.

Holden, that's a great question. Passing the PST is the key to earning a contract to serve in jobs such as SEALs, SWCC, EOD/Diver, and SARC. It would be best to practice both sides for several reasons, but there are no written instructions that say you must perform both during the official PST.

You could still do well having never practiced your weak side, but there are the reasons why you should.

Arbitrary Rules

Depending on who administers the PST, you may be required to face them the entire time as they stand on the side of the pool. This will require you to change sides at every length of the pool. You may see other rules like this, such as no goggles or mask, no speedos, no breaststroke pull outs off the wall, and no flutter kicks in between kicks.

The main rule of this stroke is that it must be an underwater recovery stroke (when arms stay in the water), like breaststroke or sidestroke. Sometimes, this “requirement” is seen, but most of the time, it is not a common occurrence.

Balance

As with anything we do, thinking bilaterally or on both sides is wise. This will help you balance out the muscles used so you do not develop any shoulder or hip imbalances that could lead to injury.

Diversity

It is wise to learn both sides because I have seen – many times – people tweak their shoulders during training. They then resort to the opposite for the top arm pull (full freestyle pull) and use the bottom arm to do very little with a small breaststroke scull. Many triathletes have learned the combat sidestroke or sidestroke to continue racing, as shoulder pain prevented them from swimming freestyle.

Prepare for Fins

The 500-yard CSS is only used without fins for the initial PST to enter the program. Once in training, you will do most of your swimming and diving with SCUBA fins and in open water. When swimming the 500-yard CSS, you only do it for eight to nine minutes if you are a competitive candidate.

There is little imbalance in that short of a swim. But when you swim one to two miles (or more) in the ocean, you will swim for one to two hours regularly. This longer-distance swimming requires frequent changes from the strong to the weak side. You will eventually not consider one side strong or weak, as they both will be well-developed.

The final answer is yes: learn both sides – but only practice the weak side once you have effectively mastered the strong side. You will find it much easier to mirror-image the proper swim movement on the weak side than to learn both sides simultaneously.

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