There are four competitive strokes and two resting or survival strokes:
The crawl, or freestyle, relies on the upper body, back, shoulders, and arms and hands for power. The flutter kick, which supplies only 20 percent of propulsion, essentially keeps the hips up and the body horizontal in the water, thus reducing drag. The fastest competitive stroke, the crawl is also the best long-distance stroke because of the efficiency of its smooth, effortless motion.
The back crawl is an equally vigorous stroke but somewhat easier to perform because you do not have to synchronize your breathing. The same flutter kick (though, of course, reversed) achieves power on the upstroke and provides body stabilization. Since you see where you have been, not where you are going, memorize marks on the ceiling or side of the pool to alert yourself to the end of the lane.
The breaststroke builds chest and leg muscles (with its vigorous frog kick) but makes low energy demands because the motions are more natural. A competitive stroke, it is also good utility stroke for distance and perhaps most popular for recreational swimming. Since it lifts you out of the water, it is a good stroke for rough seas or lifesaving.
The butterfly, a development of the breaststroke, is rarely maintained for long periods because it requires a great deal of energy and places great demands on the arm and shoulder muscles as the upper body is lifted out of the water for each stroke.
The sidestroke, the most popular resting stroke, achieves propulsion about equally from arms and legs. Because you can see either ahead or behind and can keep the upper arm free for carrying something, it is a stroke used by lifeguards or anyone with a burden. The sidestroke is also used for cool-downs.
The elementary backstroke is another good utility stroke, easy to learn and not demanding. However, these last two strokes do not offer a wide range of motion and you should learn one or two of the competitive strokes to provide yourself with some speed in the water and to exercise more muscles.
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MARCH 3
