Most swimmers swim in pools. If you are at a pool that has competitions then you will usually see starting blocks, antiwave lane lines, black lines on the bottom of the pool (which show the center of the lane), warning flags (which tell you, you are nearing the end of the pool), electronic timing pads, and a false start rope. Each one of those things listed above is important. Tae starting block is the block that you start from (for backstroke there is usually a handle in which you can hold on to.) The warning flags can also help the swimmer when they are doing backstroke (the swimmer should know how many strokes there are before he/she hits the wall from the flags.) The touch pad is used to show how long the swimmer takes until he/she finishes the race.

Freestyle is the fastest stroke out of the other 3. Freestyle used more often than any other stroke. You may use it when you are surfboarding (when you are riding out to the wave.) When you do freestyle your body must stay horizontal to the water, and keep your legs and arms moving continuously. Michael Phelps is good at this stroke.

Backstroke is the fastest method of traveling. Freestyle is the most efficient stroke though. Backstroke is the same as freestyle except everything is swam on your back. Also when you do a flip-turn it is the opposite of freestyle. Lenny Krazelburg is good at this stroke.