Most swimmers chose to swim front crawl during freestyle competition because it is the fastest technique. For individual freestyle competitions, however, a swimmer can use any stroke they want, but during medley competitions they cannot use the breaststroke, butterfly stroke or backstroke.
Visualize a line running down the center of your body from your chin to your chest. This line is the axis upon which your whole body should pivot, and it should extend horizontally in the direction you are swimming.
Keep your legs straight, but not rigid, with your toes pointed out, and kick up and down. Continue kicking the entire time. Move your arms in a windmill motion opposite each other.
While one is extended completely out, the other should be all the way back, almost against the side of your body. Keep your hands flat, thumb separated from the index finger and pull the extended limb through the water beneath your body.
Bend at the elbow and draw your fingertips along the imaginary line down the center of your body. Lift your other limb out of the pool and move it all the way forward as the first limb is pulling beneath you.
Breathe on one side by turning your head to that side as the arm comes out of the pool. Butterfly stroke is when swimmers whip their legs together and stroke with both limbs simultaneously and symmetrically to dive and glide like a dolphin in the water.
Hold your legs together and extend your limbs above your head. Kick your legs up and down once in a whipping motion generating from the hips and bending at the knees, as if you were a dolphin.
Pull both of your arms simultaneously and symmetrically through the water beneath your body along with the big kick, helping to propel your body forward and out of the pool. Lift your head up and breathe as you quickly pull both limbs out of the pool and swing them forward.
Head and limbs reenter the water together in a diving motion. Glide momentarily, performing a smaller follow-up kick.
Execute another pull-through motion with your arms, with your legs performing a full kick to propel you up and out again. Floating on your back in a horizontal position, kick your legs up and down.
Keep your legs straight, but not entirely rigid. Your toes should be pointed out.
Try not to make a big splash with your kick; just churn the surface of the pool. Pivoting slightly at the waist and rotating your shoulders windmill your limbs.
Keep one limb straight as you raise it out of the pool from your waist to a fully extended position. At the same time, the other arm should be bent and pulling a cupped hand along your side in the water, from the extended position back down to your side.
For the side stroke, practice the limb movements on land. Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart.
Hold your right arm straight up in the air, with the palm facing toward your body. Put your left arm straight down along you, with the palm facing toward your body.
Bend both elbows so your hands meet in front of your chest, then extend both limbs again. Switch and repeat on the other side.
While your arms are moving toward your chest, you will swoosh the water with your palms. While your arms are moving up and out, keep them streamlined to create no resistance as you move through the pool.
Practice the scissor kick in the pool. Hold onto the edge of the pool with your body sideways, right-side down.
Bend both legs and move them towards your belly. Do a wide scissors kick with your left leg on top moving to the front, and your bottom leg moving back.
Switch and repeat on the other side. While you are on your right, your right limb is going to the one that extends above your head, with your left arm down at your side.
The lower side of your neck and bottom ear should be submerged, but never the top of your head or face. If your head and face are deep under water, you are doing something wrong.
Author Resource:-
Jack R. Landry has been writing about the exercise and health industry for years. He recommends using exercise equipment to stay healthy and fit.
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