You can swim just as you like, but if you want to get good then you need to learn about the most popular swimming strokes around. Swimming strokes usually help to create the least possible resistance to the water. There should be minimum splashing so you can do a forward motion smoothly without jerking.
The stroke that is most commonly used when trying to attain speed is the crawl which began in Australia, and for that reason it’s sometimes called the Australian crawl. This crawl was them perfected in the US. During the crawl, the body is prone to alternating overarm strokes and a flutter kick is used to help the swimmer go very fast. Your head should remain underwater, and your face should be alternating from side to side in order to do it perfectly.
Now, if you have ever watched the summer Olympics, you will have seen the freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly. These are some of the most popular strokes to hit the swimming circuit. In this piece, we are going to look at some of the most famous swim strokes that exist. You can incorporate this information into your swim game to ensure you’re one of the best all around.
What are the Most Popular Strokes?
Our editors have looked into what all the experts are doing and discoverd some key strokes that can up your game. A combination of these popular strokes will keep you moving without having to fight against the water. These are the strokes by the greats as well as amateurs, the key is practice so that you can up that swimming stroke game of yours.
The Freestyle
This is certainly one of the most famous strokes. If you want to try this out, and you are new to swimming, you should ensure to get a good solid workout in the pool first, because freestyling is a great way to get started. Swimming freestyle at a medium or vigorous level for at least an hour will help you burn at least 500 calories.
How is it done?
- You should start in a horizontal position – face down in the water.
- With your pointed toes, start by kicking your feet in a quick up and down movement.
- Your arms should move in a continuous and alternating pattern.
- In order to breathe, turn your head from side to side.
The Backstroke
This is actually the upside-down counterpart of the freestyle, and it is another easy swimming stoke that you can master. It is popular among swimmers of all abilities, and the average person can burn at least 300 calories after swimming for an hour. The stoke offers one great perk; your face always stays out of the water, so you can breathe easily.
How it is done?
- You should swim in a horizontal position, which means that your face is up in the water. This is why it is known as a backstroke.
- Like the freestyle swimming style, you should kick your feet using short and constant flutters and your arms should move in a continuous and alternating pattern.
- You should then pull one of your arms through the water from an extended position that is above your head and down your hip. The other arm should be making semi-circle motions in the air.
- Your body should roll slightly from side to side as each arm pulls underwater. Your head should always stay in a neutral upward position.
The Breaststroke
The tempo of the breaststroke swimming style is very different from the backstroke and freestyle. It can, in fact, become a little tricky to master, but once you get it, you get it. You can burn at least 350 calories per hour of swimming using the breaststroke.
How is it done?
- Just like the freestyle of swimming, this one is done in a horizontal position. You are however required to move between the horizontal and streamline positions when your body is in a pencil under the water, and your arms and legs are correctly outstretched.
- Your legs should then perform a symmetrical frog and whip kicking movement which involves pulling your feet together inward towards your glutes and then whipping your feet on the sides in circular motions until they meet in the streamlined position again.
- Your arms should be in an asymmetrical and triangle-like pattern. You should breathe by lifting your head when your arms pull through the water.
The Butterfly
This is perhaps one of the most epic styles of all swimming stokes and it is also by far the hardest to master. It involves some unusual movements, and it utilizes almost all the muscles you have. The result is usually a swimming stoke that is not only technical and advanced but also exhaustive.
How is it done?
- The butterfly is usually performed in a horizontal position, and you are required to use wave-like movements where your chest is usually followed by your hips in continuous bobs up and down.
- You should start swimming in the streamlined position under the water, and then from there, your hands should make an hourglass shape as you pull towards your hips.
- Your legs are supposed to perform a dolphin kick where your legs should stay together and push down and up. This should be done with pointed toes.
- In the butterfly method, breathing is done by lifting your head above the water while your arms recover above the water as well.
What The Most Popular Swimming Strokes Are Conclusion
We’ve done our research and discovered some of the best swim strokes out there. These are the most famous and popular swimming stroke methods you can use them to improve how you play with water. Each stroke may be difficult to learn, but with time, like all the great masters, you too can become one with water.
