Swimming: Swimming butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle correctly

Strong Opinion

When swimming any stroke competitively, the most important rule would to focus on your stroke and technique. Without a good stroke, your whole race could fail. Your chances of winning can greatly slim down if not swum correctly. Most swim each stroke individually, but most do not know they can swim them together also. When swum all together, swimmers call it an Individual Medley, or IM. So, it is important to swim with good technique while swimming butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.

Butterfly can be the toughest stroke if not swum correctly. The leg and arms movement take time to learn, so the importance of technique comes into play. The first movement one needs to nail down when starting butterfly are the legs. Just like a dolphin, your legs and hips need to move in an up and down motion, while staying pinned together. The important part to remember about the kick, to not stop moving, a continuous motion will help in the long run. Next, the arms need to be added. The pull needs to a good pull, or the stroke will not be easy. The arm movement takes the longest time to learn in the butterfly stroke. First, take one kick. Then pull your arms down in the shape of a key hole. Finally, take another kick and your arms should float around in a circular motion. Do not become discouraged if this does not come naturally to you, because butterfly takes the most difficulty. It will take a lot of practice, but it will eventually come to you.

Backstroke, along with freestyle, takes the easiest time to learn. Backstroke takes the basics of freestyle, (which will be taught later on) and puts it on your back. First, when swimming backstroke take time to learn how to float on your back in water. Once you get comfortable with this, the stroke will come naturally. Though, if the slightest bit of your body does not completely float on top of the water, it can slow you down. After you can float, kick your feet in what swimmers call the flutter kick. This becomes achieved by taking each foot individually and kicking one up and down opposite of the others movement. This will help propel you down the pool lane. Next, add in your arms. Take one arm and point it up to the sky, when arm levitates up in the air your thumb should rotate up first. While your arm levitates up in the air, turn your palm outwards so that your pinkie finger renters the water first. Then, your other arm should do the same motion. Each arm will enter and exit the water after the other has finished. With backstroke, the most important part, the pull underneath the water. If your pull does not pull hard enough, then your stroke will not suffice.

Breaststroke, like butterfly, also takes a longer amount of time to learn. Many people think breaststroke looks easy, but few can actually perform well at this stroke. The kick for breaststroke differs than all of the other strokes. This stroke’s kick can be looked like a frogs kick. Both legs will move at the same time like in butterfly. First, take both legs and bring your heals to your butt. Next, split the legs outward like an “L” shape. Your legs should be in opposite directions. They should look like this: JL. See how the “J” sticks out to the left and the “L” sticks out to the right. The arms should start out over your head. On hand should be on top of the other. Next, pull your arms in a circular motion underneath your body. Your hands should be at your chest in a “T” position. Your hands then should push out and will end over your head again. Just like in backstroke, the pulling motion of breaststroke has high importance. To put the whole thing together, do a kick and then your pull. It takes awhile to get used to, but eventually your will ability to do the without thinking will help the stroke come together.

Freestyle, like backstroke, takes an easy amount of time to learn. According to ehow.com, “Most swimmers chose to swim front crawl (freestyle) during freestyle competition because it is the fastest technique. For individual freestyle competitions, however, a swimmer can use any stroke they want, but during medley competitions they cannot use the breaststroke, butterfly stroke or backstroke.” The kick motion stays like the backstroke kick, except this time you will be on your stomach. While kicking the flutter kick, you can bring one arm up your body and form an upside down “V” with your arm. Your elbow should stay high up in the air. This will help you stay steady and straight down the lane. Next, your arm should reenter the water, make sure not to slap the water, but instead gracefully push your hand back down. Your other arm should then do the same motion. Make sure to cycle through each arm while kicking. Just like every other stroke, you need to pull your arms through the water.

When starting to swim competitively, the strokes start hard especially if you see other good swimmers. Do not become frustrated. Try and stay calm, all of the strokes will come to you eventually, but it takes time. The important thing to remember when swimming: technique. Without technique, the harder it takes to improve when swimming in meets, races, and practice.