There are four main strokes you can swim, and your starts and turns can be crucial to any race.

Butterfly was invented in 1952. It is the newest stroke. The butterfly kick was similar to the breaststroke kick, but now it is more efficient. The movement is up and down like a dolphin kick. The arms recover over the water. When you swim butterfly you keep your legs together, and you start your kick from your hips. Your arms enter the water at the same time; they should be shoulder width apart. Next, sweep your hands just outside your shoulders with your elbows bent. Then bring your hands under your stomach so your fingers almost touch. Now bring your hands to your thighs and bring your elbow out of the water first; then your hands come out. Swing your arms forward back in the water shoulder width apart. You breathe when your elbows exit the water. There is a two beat kick. Kick once when your arms enter the water, and again as they exit. The events are the 100 yard butterfly and the 200 yard butterfly.

Backstroke is the fastest method of traveling on your back, but it is not as fast as the freestyle or butterfly. While swimming backstroke, your body should be in a streamline position. The legs should stay under water at all times, and your arms and legs move continuously. Your shoulders and your body should roll to your entering arm, but your head should keep still. The arms should alternate coming out of the water in a continuous motion. The hand should make an "S" motion in the water. Your body is horizontal with the back of your head, and your ears should be level with the surface of the water. The events are the 100 yard backstroke and the 200 yard backstroke.

While swimming breaststroke, your arms and legs are under the water at all times. This means you have more water resistance to swim through. That is the main reason why breaststroke is the slowest of the four main strokes. Your body should be positioned downward slightly. To swim breaststroke, start in a streamline position. Sweep your hands outward to just wider than shoulder width apart. This is called the catch pint. You legs and the rest of you body should not have moved. Now bend your elbows and sweep your hands up to your chin, and turn your feet up and out. Now drive your feet back and extend your arms. The breaststroke events are the 100 yard breaststroke and 200 yard breaststroke.

The crawl is the stroke most people chose to swim in the freestyle events. It is the fastest of the four main strokes. Your body should be in a streamline horizontal position, and your legs and arms have to move continuously. your arms propel you through the water and your legs kick up and down to keep your balance. To breathe, your face stays in the water; only one of your eyes and part of your nose and mouth come out. you turn your head toward the arm that is coming out of the water. When your arm comes out of the water, it should be bent. It enters the water in front of your shoulder; then you stretch it out. The other arm should be about to exit the water. Then, with the arm in the water, scull out. Next bring your hand back down to your thigh and push it out of the water. Your body needs to roll naturally as you swim freestyle. Freestyle events include the 50 yard freestyle, 100 yard freestyle, 200 yard freestyle, and 500 yard freestyle.

Racing starts are a crucial part of the race. You need to dive in the water as quickly and accurately as you can. The official will say "Take your mark." Then he will push a button that makes a beep. You dive when you hear the beep. The track start is the start that most swimmers use. You grab the block with your hands. One foot is on the back of the block; the other foot has the toes curled over the block's edge. then push off at the beep with power, height, and distance. Streamline when you enter the water and kick hard for freestyle and butterfly. For breaststroke, you do a breaststroke pull-out. A breaststroke pull-out is when you do a breaststroke pull but bring your hands down to your thighs. Wait for a few seconds, then kick and bring your hands up to your chin and extend them. For a backstroke start, you start in the water. Hold the railing and bring your knees up to your chest. Pull yourself into the rail. At the beep, throw your hands back, jump out of the water, stretch your body out, and arch your back. Your fingers enter the water first. Streamline in the water and kick hard.

Flip turns are also a major part of a swimming race. They can cut or add time. Use your speed into the wall and push hard off of the wall. Freestyle and backstroke turns include a somersault or flip. For backstroke you use the flags to count your strokes into the wall, and you flip over on your stomach to do a flip turn. To flip, push your hands down, and put your chin to your chest. Then, tuck your legs and put your feet on the wall. You also have to remember to streamline. A butterfly and breaststroke turn requires you to touch the wall with both hands. then bring your knees in and drop an elbow. Now bring your head out of the water to breathe while the other hand goes past the ear. Put your head back in the water and push off the wall on your stomach. For butterfly, backstroke, and freestyle, you kick hard off the wall; for breaststroke you need to glide and do a breaststroke pull-out.

Relays are an event when four people swim. There is a 200 yard IM (individual medley), a 200 yard freestyle, a 400 yard freestyle, 400 yard IM, and an 800 yard freestyle relay. The four swimmers divide the event into equal yards and take turns swimming . When a swimmer touches the wall, the next swimmer dives in.

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