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Different styles of swimming
By Staff
waterhead.com
September 3, 2011
There are essentially four major styles of swimming. These include the freestyle or front crawl, butterfly, breaststroke and backstroke or the back crawl. Below we have elaborated on these styles.
Freestyle or front crawl
The front crawl stroke is regarded as the fastest of all the swimming strokes. It is used in almost all freestyle swimming events, and the names have almost become synonymous. It is one of the two long axis strokes. The other long axis stroke is the backstroke. This stroke requires the user to face down, allowing for a long range of motion. The arm can extend freely as compared to the backstroke. The drag force is reduced by the recovery time above the water. Also, there is a slight rolling motion due to the alternative strokes of the arms.
Butterfly
The butterfly stroke is regarded by most swimmers and coaches to be the toughest stroke to learn. It involves the simultaneous movement of both arms. The butterfly kick or the dolphin kick is a simultaneous backward kick using both legs. It takes very good technique to be fast, and is rarely attempted by most beginners. It can take years of practice and requires very strong shoulders as well. Due to the synchronous pull/push motion of the arms, the peak speed of the butterfly stroke is faster than that of the front crawl. However, the longer recovery period makes it a slower stroke.
Breaststroke
In the breaststroke, the swimmer is on his chest and does not rotate. It is the most common stroke used by people for recreational purposes. This is because you keep your head outside the water for long periods of time. The stroke is possibly the slowest of all the strokes. It is quite difficult at the competitive level since you require much leg strength.
Backstroke
The backstroke is the only regulated stroke that is performed while lying flat on your back. While the swimmer has the advantage of being able to breathe easily, he cannot see where he is going. Unlike the other strokes which begin outside the water with a dive, the backstroke begins in the water. It is the second long axis stroke after the front crawl, and is essentially an upside down version of the front crawl. It is also the second stroke that is swum (correct usage) in the individual medley event.
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