Swimming is a great form of an exercise, which involves the muscles of the body as a whole. Swimming for fun or swimming to compete, either ways it is highly essential to get your technique right in order to thrive in the pool without subjecting yourself to injury, let alone mastering the craft. It takes a lot of swim practice when it comes to mastering the skill of swimming. There are various different types of swimming strokes that can be incorporated in a swimming routine to propel your body and stride through the water with technique, efficiency and sheer majesty. There are 4 major swimming strokes, with every stroke being an individual in its characteristics of technique, speed, physical strength, and endurance and breathing requirements.

Here is a quick glance at the 4 major different types of swimming strokes you need to master to become a champion at this form of exercise!

Swimming Stroke # 1

The Front Crawl

The front crawl stroke is one of the most practiced swim strokes and it also enjoys the status of being the fastest swim stroke there is. The front crawl is very commonly used in freestyle competitions and in triathlons as well. It requires the movement of one arm at a time, with a face lift on either side to facilitate breathing, and a leg motion similar to a flutter kick which propels the body forward, piercing through the water.

Swimming Stroke # 2

The Back Stroke

The back stroke is also referred to as the back crawl, and rightly so, as it practically the same as the front crawl except flipped over! The backstroke is the only type of swimming stroke that requires the individual to already be in the water before start, that is, it cannot incorporate diving in its style of swimming. In a back stroke, the swimmer’s back faces the surface of the swimming pool, with the face and the upper body floating on the surface of the water, making breathing the easiest of all swim strokes. Similar to the front crawl, in a back stroke you perform the same flutter kick along with an alternative rotating arm movement to add balance and propulsion to the stroke.

Swimming Stroke # 3

The Butterfly Stroke

The butterfly stroke is the newest out of all the types of swimming strokes available to date. It is said to be one of the fastest swim strokes, in fact, only second in line right after the front crawl. The butterfly stroke requires an intense amount of upper body strength, making it one of the most challengingtypesof swimming strokes, which is mostly used by professionals and barely ever for recreational purposes! The butterfly stroke involves a dolphin kick performed in a special two beat rhythm with a simultaneous arm movement in a constant uninterrupted manner. The butterfly stroke is a swim strokes that requires the most amount of technique, and it involves the abdominal, shoulder, chest and leg muscles extensively into the swim routine.

Swimming Stroke # 4

The Breast Stroke

The breast stroke has to be the slowest and the least efficient of the 4 types of swimming strokes. In a breast stroke the arms and the legs move in a simultaneous fashion, with the core of the propulsion being provided by the legs and the feet. The feet are submerged under water, and the arm movement in a breast stroke is probably the least impactful among all the 4 competitive types of swimming strokes. The breast stroke is performed on the stomach and throughout the swimmer must try and maintain a flat body position in order to execute the stroke properly.