In swimming, the strokes are what make you swim. There are four main strokes in swimming. The four strokes in swimming are freestyle, butterfly, backstroke, and breastroke. These strokes can be swum individually or in a relay with other people.
One stroke that is swum in swimming is freestyle. Freestyle is the easiest stroke to learn and swim in swimming. When doing freestyle, rotate your body on your stomach, while extending each arm forward. When you breathe, breathe to the side, and keep your head low in the water. You also need to kick while doing freestyle, by doing a simple flutter kick. Freestyle is included in many events, like the 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle events. Freestyle is also apart of the 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay, and the 800 freestyle relay. Finally, freestyle is included last in the 100 I.M., 200 I.M., 200 medley relay, and the 400 medley relay.
The next stroke is butterfly. Butterfly is the opposite of freestyle, because it's the hardest stroke in swimming. When swimming butterfly, your stomach is facing down, and you body will go up and down naturally when you do this stroke. For arms, you out sweep both arms at the same time in front of you, catch the water, and down sweep under your body with both arms. Right after this, you swing you arms over the water. For breathing, inhale at the end of every stroke, and exhale underwater when you lower your head. For kicking, kick once when the hands enter the water, and kick again as your arm stroke ends. Some butterfly events are the 50, 100, and 200 butterfly. Butterfly is also included in the beginning of the 100 and 200 I.M.s and third in the 200 and 400 medley relays.
	Another stroke in swimming is breastroke. Breastroke is kind of like butterfly, because you're using your legs and arms at the same time. First, you lay flat on the water, stomach and head facing down. At the same time, scull both arms outward, pull them into your body, squeeze them together, and thrust them back out in front of you. At the same time you're doing this, bring your heels up to your butt (Don't turn the knees outward), turn your toes out, and move your feet out and down in a circular motion. Then, snap your legs together to finish the kick. When you breathe, you inhale when your body is out of the water, and exhale when your head is in the water. The breastroke events are the 50, 100, and 200. It's also apart of the 100 and 200 I.M.s where it's put third, and it's second in the 200 and 400 medley relays.
The last stroke is backstroke. backstroke is a very easy stroke to swim and learn just like freestyle. Tn backstroke, you lay on your back in the water, and roll your body. You extend each arm (not simultaneously), and pull the water under you. When you do this, and are rolling your body, make sure you don't move your head from side to side, and keep it still. While moving your arms, you flutter kick just like freestyle. For breathing, inhale on one arm recovery, and exhale on the other. The backstroke is included second in the 100 and 200 I.M.s, and first in the 200 and 400 medley relays.

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