ABOUT SWIMMING

TECHNIQUES

  • Front crawl: the fastest style.
    • Dolphin crawl: Similar to front crawl, but with a dolphin kick. One kick per arm or two kicks per cycle. This style is often used in training.
    • Catch up stroke: A variation of the front crawl where one arm always rests at the front while the other arm performs one cycle. continue in use. This can also be used as a drill when training in competitive swimming.
    • Head-high crawl (also known as the water polo stroke, lifeguard approach stroke, or Tarzan drill): This stroke is used for water polo, lifeguards to keep the victim in sight, or those who simply want to see where they're going and breathe with ease. It is similar to front crawl, but with head above the water. This can also be used as a drill when training in competitive swimming.
  • Trudgen: (also known as trudgeon): The trudgen is similar to the front crawl, except that it is swum with a scissors kick, similar to that used in the breaststroke.
    • Trudgen crawl: similar to the trudgen, but with the use of a flutter kick (up and down leg kick) between the scissors kicks.
    • Double trudgen: Similar to the trudgen, but the sides of the scissors kick alternate.
    • Double trudgen crawl: Similar to the double trudgen, but with a flutter kick between the scissors kick alternate.
  • Butterfly stroke: performed face down in the water. The legs perform a dolphin kick and while the arms move in a forward circle at the same time.
    • Slow butterfly (also known as "moth stroke"): Similar to butterfly, but with an extended gliding phase, Breathing during the pull/push phase, return head into water during recovery. This style uses two kicks per cycle.
  • Breaststroke: performed face down in the water without rotating the torso. The arms stay in the water and move synchronously, while the legs perform a whipkick. It is possible to keep the head elevated out of the water throughout the stroke, although the head usually dips in and out.
    • Inverted breaststroke: Similar to elementary backstroke, but with a breaststroke kick and arm motions.
  • Backstroke (also known as back crawl): Similar to the front crawl, but done while lying on the back. One arm reaches behind the head with a pinky finger tip entry while the other arm is by the side.
    • Elementary backstroke: Both arms move synchronized (They begin out like an airplane, then go beside the body like a soldier then they run up your sides and back out to an airplane position) with whip kick (breaststroke kick).
    • Inverted butterfly: Similar to elementary backstroke, but with a dolphin kick. This is often used for training.
    • Back double trudgen: Similar to the backstroke, but with a scissors kick to alternating sides.
  • Sidestroke: On the side, pull the water as if with a rope with arms going out and stopping in the middle, while ensuring that the strokes are most hydrodynamic when moving towards the desired location, and pushing the most water when moving away from the location. In addition, the legs are performing a scissors kick, which is like breaststroke kick, but sideways.
    • Lifesaving stroke: Similar to the side stroke, but only the bottom arm moves while the top arm tows a swimmer in distress.
    • Combat sidestroke: This stroke was developed and used by the United States Navy SEALs and is designed to be more efficient and reduce profile in the water.
  • Dog paddle: face over water and paddling with alternate hands, often with the nose and mouth above the water. This stroke can be used in reverse to propel the body feet first.
    • Human stroke: Similar to the dog paddle, but the arms reach out more and pull farther down.[citation needed]
  • Survival travel stroke: Alternating underwater arm stroke, one cycle for propulsion, one for lift to stay on the surface. This style is slow but sustainable.[citation needed]
  • Breast feet first strokes: With legs extended, use the arms with a pushing, flapping, clapping or uplifting motion.[citation needed]
  • Snorkeling: Swimming on the breast using a snorkel, usually in combination with masks and fins. Any stroke on the breast can be used, and there is no need to lift or turn the head for breathing.
  • Finswimming is the progression of a swimmer using fins either on the water surface or under water. Finswimming is usually done on the breast.
  • An arm and a leg: is the progression of a swimmer clasping one leg with the opposite arm, and using breaststroke movements with the remaining arm and leg.[citation needed]
  • Flutter back finning: Symmetrically underwater arm recovery with flutter kick.
  • Feet first swimming: A very slow stroke on the back where a breaststroke movement with the arms propels the body forward feet first. Also the arms can be lifted out of the water and pulled backwards together with a scooping movement. Alternatively, the arms can be raised behind the head, alternately or together pushing with the hands, propelling the body. Similarly, the hands can be brought together in a clapping action. These strokes are often used for training.
  • Corkscrew swimming: Alternating between front crawl and backstroke every arm. This leads to a constant rotation of the swimmer. The stroke is used mainly for training purposes and is also sometimes known as Newfie Stroke, referring to Newfoundland. When rotating every third stroke, this is called waltz crawl.
  • Gliding: The swimmer is stretched with the arms to the front, the head between the arms and the feet to the back. This streamlined shape minimizes resistance and allows the swimmer to glide, for example after a start, a push off from a wall, or to rest between strokes.
  • Turtle stroke: On the breast, extend right arm then pull, after pushing with the left leg (while opposite limbs are recovering), then opposite limbs repeat this process, i. e. left arm pulls after right leg pushes. Uses muscles of the waist. Head can easily be above or below water: this is a slow but very sustainable stroke, common in turtles and newts.
  • Oarstroke/Moth Stroke: Recreationally and unofficially developed, the oarstroke consists of the opposite motions of the butterfly stroke, hence, the alternate moniker: "mothstroke"; unlike the butterfly stroke the swimmer is moving in a backwards direction. The arms are moved in a circular motion akin to the butterfly stroke. The legs are however, kicked out in the breaststroke position. The Moth Stroke is not to be confused with the "slow butterfly stroke" which also can be alternately labeled as the "moth stroke."