Basic Swimming Strokes

"The water is your friend. You don't have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move." ~ Aleksandr Popov

In real life this quote above is the spirit of the sport called swimming! If you have always loved water and have had desires to swim in the water without goofing up (wink), perhaps there shouldn't be any reason that should stop you from not learning this sport well. All you have to do is catch up with some basic swimming techniques and soon you will see yourself floating on the water perfectly. Science says that, just after a human baby is born and few months pass by, he/she has the natural instinctive ability to swim in the water. But it can happen that quality could disappear if it's not pursued or implied at a proper time. So, if you don't wish to see that phase in your life, come learn the basic swimming stroke names now and learn about each 'n' every technique in the following content.

Swimming is a wonderful and a healthy sport which keeps your body fit and sound. It is the art of using various styles and strokes using arms and legs to stay afloat on the water body. Well, all this can be achieved if you get well acquainted with the condition of water by simply putting your head under water and releasing few bubbles through your mouth. If you do this task a bit slowly, it will gradually lead you to floating and treading on water and eventually will teach you how to swim properly. You can dog-paddle too, if you wish. That probably is not even a swimming stroke, but many people learn to float on water using the same.

Factually, there are four basic strokes such as: front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke and the butterfly stroke. Of all these types, front crawl is the most energy-saving technique only if you do it the right way. Moreover, the relaxation and comfort one gets on performing front crawl stroke, is just amazing. In the same breath, the most expended swimming style in this sport is the freestyle. It's as easy and relaxing to perform compared to the other two. Well, in general if you may ask, it's hard to say which of the four strokes are better and can be mastered perfectly. They all have equal difficulty and need enough practice for qualified results.

Types of Swimming Strokes

Front Crawl
The front crawl also called the forward crawl is the basic swimming technique which is actually regarded as the fastest of all swimming styles under this subject. As compared to the backstroke, front crawl holds a lot of flexibility of the arm and chest when the swimmer is in water. This stroke has alternating arm stroke which allows the body to push ahead in a comfortable movement. The technique of performing this front stroke is to stretch both your arms out to the front and extend both your legs to the back, and then swim.

Freestyle a.k.a Front Crawl
Freestyle is somewhat like a front crawl stroke but herein, the body of the swimmer is posed in a manner where the head and the torso are pointed in the downward direction of the swimming pool and the legs kick constantly up and down to move ahead. Another aspect of freestyle is the coordination of the hands. When one hand is raised and brought back into the water, the other hand should co-ordinate underneath the water to help move ahead. With all these hand gestures, the head movement is important too. The head must tilt in the same side the body tilts. This type of head tilting is necessary for the swimmer to inhale proper amount of air while swimming.

Breaststroke
When you enter the pool, stand still, catch a little momentum to propel your body in the forward direction and start to fling your both arms and legs in the outward direction smoothly. The whole body should form a shape of a 'T'. The arms should bend at the elbows and the front of the arms must lapse below the water level along with the chin at the surface. Positioning in this manner, you then have to stretch out your arms in the forward direction and legs in the backward. This breaststroke technique helps the swimmer to rise his/her head and torso above the water level and inhale air now and again.

Butterfly Stroke
As striking and difficult this swimming stroke happens to be, it is far more graceful to watch too! The movement of the arms and legs is supposed to be in an upward and downward movement altogether. The front arms are brought forward, then are pulled back and brought up once again. Whilst, these actions are performed the leg, too, are kicked in a powerful stroke something like the dolphin style.

Backstroke
This swimming style is kind of difficult to perform. Its best left for the professional swimmers or rather the swimmers who have perfected front crawl and freestyle very well. As the name says it all, the swimmer is supposed to lie on his back and move his arms and legs in a similar style like the front crawl. Although it's an extremely relaxing stroke, almost giving you the effect of being on a beach feeling nice and relaxed, with the backstroke the navigation of swimming around in the pool gets a bit complex. But yes there's something to balance it out, the factor of breathing doesn't become a hassle. So all you have to do is lie on your back, try to float your body without sinking in the water and pedal like as if you are riding a bicycle.

Now that you have all of these special techniques discussed here, you can practice them regularly whenever you go swimming!