 Terminologies in Swimming

Facilities and Equipment

 Swimming is an activity that burns a lots of
calories, is easy on the joints, supports your
weight, builds muscular strength and
endurance. It also improves cardiovascular
fitness, cools you off and refreshes you in
summer.
 Terms in swimming
• Deck and Lap- The pool is surrounded by a hard surface called a deck. When you
swim from one end of a pool to the other, the distance is commonly called a lap,
although a lap also can be be used to mean the down-and-back distance that is
twice the length of the pool.

• Lane and Lane Line- When swimming, someone might assign you to a specific
lane; these lanes often are numbered. Your lane is your designated swimming
area. The lanes are separated by lane lines, or floating markers attached to cables.
These lines help calm the waves stirred up by swimmers.
• Flag- Flags are triangular banners featuring two or more colors and hanging down
over the lanes on lines. Backstroke flags are placed at the end of each lane to let
swimmers performing the backstroke -- who have limited visibility -- know that
they are approaching the wall.

• Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle- From the backstroke, which is performed

lying on your back, to the breaststroke, in which you keep your body on your
breast, swimming features numerous terms for various swim strokes. The
freestyle, or crawl, is the most common stroke, which you perform on your
stomach while alternating your arms and using a flutter kick.
• Diving and Relay- Other common terms include diving, a method of entering the
water by jumping in head first. Swimmers also often participate in relay events, or
races in which four swimmers each swim a quarter of the total race distance.

• Freestyle – most people know that there are four strokes in swimming, and most
of us know them as front crawl, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke. However,
once you start swimming more regularly, you will hear the word freestyle used a
lot. In swimming terminology freestyle is the official name of the front crawl stroke
used more commonly at a competitive level.
• Dolphin kick – the dolphin kick is usually used for the butterfly stroke, and the
start and turns in a race, as it is very fast. It involves a whipping motion with the
legs, keeping your feet together, similar to how a dolphin swims. This is considered
one of the hardest parts of any stroke to learn, but there are plenty of things you
can do outside of the pool to help speed you along.

• Tumble turns – these are underwater somersaults used in backstroke and freestyle
that allow swimmers to push off from the wall for the next length. These may
seem like a tall order to a novice swimmer, but they are fairly easy once you have
mastered the technique.
• Body roll – body roll refers to the rotation of your body from side to side. If you are
swimming freestyle, your body should be tilting on its side to a 40-60% angle, but
your head should remain straight in the water until you go to breathe.

• Bilateral breathing – bilateral breathing is used in the freestyle stroke and involves
breathing on both sides of the body. This helps to create smooth and even strokes.
It also helps to develop a good body roll. This is essential to swim great freestyle.
Usually you breathe after a set of three strokes, alternating with breathing in on
the left stroke on the first set, and then on the right on the second.
• Swimming drills –. This is swimming terminology for simple exercises focusing on a
particular part of your technique. If you are struggling to get the timing right on
your breaststroke kick, for example, you might use a float to hold up your front end
and then focus all your attention on the kick to help you improve it.

• Glide - Gliding is when you are coasting along with a pause in your stroke. When
swimming, you should always be moving. If you have a moment where you are not
being propelled through the water at all, then you are losing speed and creating
more work for yourself as you accelerate again with the next movement. Gliding
should be kept to a minimum and a stroke should be as continuous as possible.
• Body position – if you are told that you need to raise your body position, this
usually means that your hips and legs are sinking too low in the water, which
means you are not streamlined and your body has increased resistance through
the water. Try to keep your body as flat as possible in the water, and as close to the
surface as possible.
 Facilities and Equipment
• When swimming, you’ll hear several
swimming terms tossed around in regards to
swimming equipment or gear. This is what a
swimmer will use while in the water to assist
with their stroke, kick, or pull.
• Cap: A cap is a silicone, latex, or lycra material that covers the head to help
increase efficiency in the water and reduce drag. Swim caps can keep hair out of a
swimmer’s face and can help prevent chlorine damage to hair. Caps can be used by
male or female swimmers.

• Goggles: Goggles are a piece of equipment that goes over the eyes to help
swimmers see better underwater and help keep chlorine from irritating their eyes
• Kickboard: A piece of swim equipment made of foam or hard plastic that floats on
the water’s surface and is used for kick and drill sets. Kickboards can be used by
any age or swim ability.

• Swim Bag: A swim bag holds ‘dry’ equipment/gear, such as towels, clothes, and
personal items. It’ll usually stay in the locker room or the pool area during practice.
• Fins, Paddles And Boards- Fins, paddles and boards are not required for
competition, but may be beneficial during practice or for recreational swimmers
who are looking for a more challenging workout. Fins increase the resistance to
your legs while paddling, which enhances the muscular benefits. Boards aid with
buoyancy, allowing you to practice new techniques. Paddles work much like fins,
but attach to your hands

• Rash Guard/ Swimsuit- this will be worn by swimmers to protect them againts
rashes caused by abrasion, or by sunburn from extended exposure to the sun.
 Y TI M E
I V I T
ACT
1. What do you call the hard surface surround the pool?
a. Deck
b. Lap
c. Flag

2. It is known as the most common stroke, in which you perform on your stomach
while alternating your arms and using a flutter kick.
a. freestyle
b. backstroke
c. breastroke

3. It is a silicone, latex, or lycra material that covers the head to help increase
efficiency in the water and reduce drag.
a. kick board
b. swimsuit
c. cap
4. What do you call a piece of equipment that goes over the eyes to help
swimmers see better underwater and help keep chlorine from irritating
their eyes.
a. cap
b. googles
c. swim bag
5. This will be worn by swimmers to protect them againts rashes caused by
abrasion, or by sunburn from extended exposure to the sun.
a. Rash guard/ swimsuit
b. googles
c. cap
6. It is used in the freestyle stroke and involves breathing on both sides of the
body.
a. Bilateral breathing
b. lap
c. deck
7. It refers to the rotation of your body from side to side.
a. body roll
b. flag
c. lap

8. This are triangular banners featuring two or more colors and hanging down over the
lanes on lines.
a. Flag
b. banners
c. deck

9. This stroke will be performed lying on your back.

a. breaststroke
b. backstroke
c. butterflystroke

10. A piece of swim equipment made of foam or hard plastic that floats on the water’s
surface.
a. kickboard
b. fins and paddles
c. swim bag
 ESSAY for 5pts.

1. Why we need to wear proper outfit and gears when swimming?