Tuesday, August 26, 2008

What is a Swimming Stroke?

A swimming stroke is a method of moving the arms and legs to push against the water and propel the swimmer forward. There are a few ways of doing this which I have listed below.

Crawl or "freestyle"

This is the most popular stroke and the easiest for beginners to learn. It is a simple flutter kick and windmill arm motion.

Breaststroke

This is a difficult stroke and not one to choose if you're just learning how to swim. The basics are that your arms pull, you breathe, you kick (arms alternate with the kick), and you glide. Breaststroke is swum while leaning on the chest, with the arms only breaking the surface of the water slightly and legs always underwater, while the head is underwater for the second half of the stroke. The body is often at a steep angle to the forward movement. This slows down the swimmer more than any other style.

Butterfly

This is also a difficult stroke and not recommended for beginners because it requires perfect timing and a good deal of strength. It is swum on the breast, with both arms moving simultaneously. The legs move together in a dolphin kick. Many students consider this to be the most difficult style of all.

Backstroke or "back crawl"

This style has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disadvantage of not seeing where the swimmer is heading to. It is easier than the butterfly or breaststroke. In the initial position, the swimmer lies flat on their back, arms stretched forward, and legs extended backwards with the arms contributing to most of the forward movement.

Dog Paddle

This is one of the most simple swimming strokes. The swimmer lies on his chest and moves his hands and legs alternately in a manner reminiscent of how dogs and other animals swim.
Swimming strokes should create the least possible water resistance. When swimming, there should be a minimum of splashing so that forward motion is smooth.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edward_Rodriguez

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