How to Master the Side Stroke

Side stroke is one of the less commonly used strokes in the sport of swimming. Side stroke is not a swimming stroke that's used for competitive races. However, side stroke is a stroke that lifeguards commonly use when trying to save a victim. Competitive swimmers may use side stroke from time to time to warm up before a practice or a race. You can master the side stroke if you focus on your technique and practice the stroke on a routine basis.

Things You'll Need

  • Goggles
  • Bathing suit
  • Access to a swimming pool
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Instructions

    • 1

      Understand the proper technique that needs to be used for side stroke. Watching videos of other swimmers doing the side stroke is a great way to learn proper technique. Try to find a video that utilizes an underwater camera. Underwater cameras will allow you to see the technique that's being used for the side stroke kick, specifically the scissor kick. You might want to take notes on what you've seen in the video and bring those notes with you to the pool.

    • 2

      Go to a swimming pool to begin practicing the side stroke. If you've never done the side stroke before, practice moving your arms before you add the scissor kick. The best way to understand how to move your arms is to watch an instructional side stroke video. When you perform the side stroke, one of your ears should be in the water and you should be on your side. If your left ear is in the water, your left arm will be the leading arm.

    • 3

      Start on your side with your ear in the water and your hands touching one another near your upper chest. Reach your left arm out towards the opposite end of the pool that you're swimming to until it's straight. Simultaneously, reach your right arm back towards the other end of the pool that you came from. Your left arm should cut through the surface of the water slightly while your right arm should stay completely underwater.

    • 4

      Bring your arms back to the starting position near your upper chest. Repeat this movement over and over until you've mastered the arm movement needed for the side stroke.

    • 5

      Find an instructional video, if you haven't done so already, on how to do the scissor kick when swimming the side stroke. If you've already found a video of someone doing the side stroke, then you might be able to watch that video to learn how to do the scissor kick.

    • 6

      Practice the scissor kick at a pool. While on your side, your top leg (the leg that's closest to the surface of the water) should move forward towards the side of the pool that your body's facing, and your bottom leg should simultaneously move backwards towards the side of the pool that your body's not facing. After both of your legs are fully extended, quickly snap your legs back to their straight starting position.