DIFFERENT TYPES OF SWIMMING SKILLS

BASIC SWIMMING SKILLS

1. BREATHING (ENDURANCE)
- Swimming has and always will be an endurance sport. For that reason, it is absolutely
crucial that you are able to have a strong aerobic capacity to be able to swim for extended
periods of time. Having good lung capacity may be a genetic trait, but it is something that
can be developed over time with good practice.
2. BREATHING (TIMING)
- Being able to take deep breaths is not the only aerobic skill involved in swimming. The other
piece to breathing well while swimming is the timing of your breaths. To maximize efficiency
across the pool or water, you should be taking as few breaths as possible while covering as
much distance as possible. It is often said that breathing every two strokes is best when
swimming.
3. DIVING
- Having a proper dive can be the make or break in winning a race in the pool. Especially in
short races, the dive can take up nearly half the length of the pool if extended in such a
way. Diving can take two main forms: forward in most cases and backward for the
backstroke.
4. FLIP-TURN
- If your race features more than one length of the pool, then you will need to be able to
execute a proper flip-turn to turn around quickly and powerfully. Flip-turns are also referred
to as tumble turns or, most generally, turns. Depending on the stroke, you will need to
complete a turn to boost yourself off the wall to send you to the next race length. Flip-turns
are only allowed in freestyle and backstroke races. In breaststroke and butterfly, an “open
turn” in which you skillfully touch the wall and quickly throw your legs to the wall to boost
off is permitted.
5. KICKING
- Having proper kicking technique is vital to having a good stroke. Swimmers often think too
much about their arms and forget about their legs when trying to learn the strokes.
However, kicking well is just as important as perfecting your arm techniques.

BASIC SWIMMING STROKES AND STYLES

1. FRONT CRAWL - The front crawl has three parts: the flutter kick, the rotating arm stroke, and rhythmic
breathing. It is the fastest swimming stroke.
 a. Kick - The flutter kick begins at the hips and flows to the feet. As one foot moves downward, the other
comes up in a fluttering rhythm. Kick from the hip and thigh, not from the knee. During the downward
part of the kick, your ankle stays relaxed, toes are pointed behind you, and your knee is slightly bent. As
your foot reaches the end of the kick, straighten your leg and allow your foot to snap downward. As
your foot moves upward, keep that leg and knee straight. The kick should be smooth and steady, and
your feet should stay just under the water with only your heels breaking the surface. Your big toes
should almost touch one another as they pass. You can practice the kick by holding the edge of the pool
or by supporting yourself on a kick board.

b. Arm stroke - Most of the forward motion of the front crawl comes from the arm stroke, which has three
phases: catch, power, and recovery. To begin the catch, slightly bend your right wrist and elbow as you
move the entire arm downward. Have your palm facing away from your body. Keep your elbow, hand,
and wrist fixed in this position. Your hand should be directly in line with your shoulder.

c. Breathing and Coordination - Swimmers doing the front crawl use a breathing rhythm of one breath for
every one, two, three, or more arm cycles. Practice taking a breath for every set of arm cycles on the
same side. When your face is in the water, slowly exhale through your nose and mouth. When you need
to take a breath, exhale all of the remaining air into the water during the power phase of the arm stroke.
As your body rotates during the middle of the power phase, start turning your head so that your mouth
is out of the water just as your hand exits by your hip. At the beginning of the recovery phase, inhale
quickly and return your head to its former position.

2. BREASTSTROKE
- People like the breaststroke because it conserves energy, they can keep their head above water, and
it can be done for longer distances. It uses a whip kick and a shallow arm pull. Float with your
stomach facing down, then move your arms in a half-circle motion in front of the body. Bend your
legs, then kick back with good timing, and you’ll propel yourself up and forward. This is a great
workout and is recommended for those who swim for exercise.

3. SIDE STORKE
- The sidestroke is a good long-distance stroke with a long, restful glide.
- Although not one of the official four strokes in competitive swimming, the sidestroke is a great
survival technique. This is commonly used by lifeguards because you can hold onto another person
and keep them above water while you swim. Lie on your side and scissor your legs to propel yourself
forward. It’s a great leg workout because your legs do most of the propulsion. Alternate by meeting
your hands in front of your chest, then darting your arms outward, one back and one forward. This
can be challenging to learn, but important for helping others.

4. ELEMENTARY BACKSTROKE
- The elementary backstroke is another restful stroke, a good one to use when you need to swim for
longer periods of time.
5. FREESTYLE - Also known as the front crawl, this is the classic swimming posture. Lie on your stomach and flutter
your legs while alternating the arms in a windmill motion. You propel yourself forward with moderate speed in a
specific direction. The freestyle is a great competitive and exercise stroke, and allows you to swim longer
distances without exhaustion.

6. BUTTERFLY - An excellent workout and common competitive stroke–possibly because it tests a mature
swimmer–the butterfly is performed by bringing your arms up above your head, then pushing them down into
the water to propel yourself forward. Your legs perform a dolphin kick, in which they stay together and kick
simultaneously in a bobbing fashion. This is a very difficult stroke to learn, but if you take swimming classes in
private, you can work diligently to learn this challenging stroke. A swimming teacher will help you learn proper
technique and guide you until you perfect it.

7. BACKSTROKE - Lie on your back and flutter your legs while circling your arms in a windmill motion. It’s very
similar to the freestyle, but you swim on your back and propel yourself backwards. Many doctors recommend
this technique to those who have back problems, or to develop stronger back muscle. This can be a more
difficult stroke, though, so consider getting private swim lessons to learn the proper technique here.