The Four Competitive Swim Strokes...

...and the importance of learning to swim correctly...

Before your children ever join a swim team or become competitive swimmers, make certain they have been taught all four competitive strokes. A beginning swimmer should not be concerned with speed or even endurance...those qualities will come later. Correct execution of each swim stroke creates the best foundation for future competitors. Good instructors want "pretty" rather than "fast". My son is an instructor guard and the mantra for his students is "Give Me Purdy!"

The Four Competitive Swim Strokes are:

Butterfly, Backcrawl (Backstroke), Breaststroke, Freestyle (swimmer's choice but usually the Frontcrawl because it is the fastest stroke). Events for these strokes are 50m, 100m and 200m. Freestyle events include 50m, 100, 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m.

The IM (Individual Medley) is swimming each stroke in succession. The order is Fly, Back, Breast and Free. Events are 100m, 200m, and 400m.

Relays are as follows:

4 x 50m Freestyle and Medley
4 x 100m Freestyle and Medley
4 x 200m Freestyle

The order of the Medley Relays are Backcrawl, Breaststroke, Butterfly, and Freestyle. A relay starts with the Backcrawl because the first swimmer begins the race in the water. Each swimmer thereafter dives into the water when the preceding swimmer touches the wall.

The Frontcrawl is the fastest stroke and the easiest. The Breaststroke is the slowest stroke. The Butterfly and Backcrawl are sometimes difficult for beginning swimmers to master.

Flip turns at the wall can be used (legally) with the frontcrawl and backcrawl. When swimming the Butterfly and Breaststroke, both hands must touch the wall during the turn or the swimmer will be disqualified from the race. No flip turns are allowed with those strokes.