Swimming Styles in Swimming Competition

There are 4 styles used in a swimming competition. The breast stroke, butterfly, freestyle and the back stroke are the styles used at swim meets. Each style has its own kick, arm movements and techniques you can use to breathe.

  1. The Freestyle Method

    • The freestyle method of swimming is the easiest style of swimming to learn. It is the most basic form of swimming used at a swimming competition. The freestyle stroke involves lying on your stomach in the water, and looping the arms overhead in a continuous circular motion. At the same time, your legs alternately kick in a scissor-like motion. To breathe, turn your head away from the water, while executing your stroke.

    The Back Stroke

    • The back stroke is similar to the freestyle form of swimming. The difference is you actually lie on your back as opposed to your stomach in the water. The arms loop overhead out of the water in a circular motion. Your leg kick is more of a flutter as opposed to the power kick used in the freestyle form. Breathing is much easier when performing the back stroke because you are face up, as opposed to being face down in the water.

    The Breast Stroke

    • The breast stroke is a complicated stroke. To execute the breast stroke, you should be on your stomach in the water. The arms move in a continuous semi-circle motion in front of your body. The head bobs in and out of the water as your legs perform a rhythmic, frog kick. You can catch your breathe when your head bobs out of the water.

    The Butterfly

    • The Butterfly is the most difficult swimming stroke to master. To execute the butterfly, get in the prone position, just like you did to execute the freestyle and breast stroke. The arms simultaneously emerge from the water in a huge overhead, looping motion. As your arms enter the water, your legs move together at the same time in a fluttering motion. This is known as a dolphin kick. When swimming competitively, you can't swim the butterfly underwater.

    The Medley

    • At a swimming competition, you may swim in a medley. The medley involves a team consisting of 4 members. Each swimmer executes 1 of the 4 strokes, but all 4 strokes must be used by the team. The order in which the strokes will be used is determined prior to the start of the race.