Swimming What are the skills needed for swimming?

Strokes Front Crawl (Freestyle) Back Crawl (Backstroke) Breaststroke Butterfly

Freestyle Techniques Fastest of the four Breathe to the side by turning your head, not your whole body Push off the wall and keep your body in a tight form: arms above your head out in front of you; legs un-crossed and together Arms rotating continuously; hand enters the water almost cup-like and push water down Legs kicking continuously up and down Approximately 3-6 kicks to each arm stroke Slightly rotate your body to gain a longer reach

Backstroke Technique Similar to freestyle on your back Breathing Continuously Push off the wall and keep your body in a tight form: arms above your head out in front of you; legs un-crossed and together Arms rotating continuously; hand enters the water flat Legs kicking continuously up and down Approximately 3-6 kicks to each arm stroke Slightly rotate your body to gain a longer reach

Breaststroke Slowest and most inefficient of the four Arms move when legs don’t Legs move when arms don’t Stroke is done underwater Breathe when pulling up with arms Rely more on strength rather than speed Kick like a frog or “scissor kick” When using arms, imagine you are shoveling sand with your hands

Butterfly Hardest stroke of the four Use a “dolphin” kick Bring your arms out and up out of the water, then back in, and push the water back Use two kicks for each arm stroke Make your body move in an up-and-down motion like a dolphin Breathe every time or every other time you come out of the water Bring head up to breathe

Streamline Different for Each Stroke Keep your arms together Freestyle- Dive in or push off the wall and kick under water; surface with arms and do some strokes before breathing Backstroke- Push off the wall onto your back and kick before starting your arms for the stroke Breaststroke- Dive in or push off the wall for two seconds; push water down with your arms; do first stroke to rise out of the water Butterfly- Dive in or push of the wall and kick strongly about six times; come out of the water doing your first stroke

Things To Help Improve Your Swimming Skill Swim Frequently Use Good Technique Do Drills During Practice Do Challenging and Easy Workouts Do Streamlines Leave the Wall Pretty Much the Same Way Every Time Wear a Competitive Swimsuit Ask Someone to Watch You Wear Flippers Occasionally

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