Butterfly

            Butterfly was invented in the early 1930’s but was swum as a version of breaststroke until 1962. Originally the kick was similar to that of used in breaststroke, but now the more efficient up-and-down, “Dolphin kick” is used. Because your arms recover over the water and your legs and body undulate there is for less resistance and more propulsion than in backstroke.

Backstroke

            Backstroke is not as fast as the crawl or butterfly, but it is still the fastest method of traveling on your back. You should aim for a streamline position while inclining your body slightly to keep your kick under the water.

Breaststroke

            In breaststroke, your arms and legs stay under the surface all the time. This means you have more water resistance to overcome and it is the main reason why breaststroke is the slowest of the four strokes. It is an easy and enjoyable stroke to learn since you can raise your head above the surface to breathe.   

 The Crawl (Freestyle)

            The crawl is the fastest and most efficient of all the swimming strokes. To swim it correctly, your body must be streamline and horizontal, and your legs and arms must move continuously. Each arm, in turn, propels you through the water. At the same time your legs kick up and down to keep you balanced. Your face stays in the water, even when you turn to breathe. In competition there is no actual event called the crawl, but it is most common choice of stroke in the freestyle event.

Competition Pools

            Competition pools are normally 164 feet (50 m) long with diving wells. Some competition-size pools have moveable bulkheads at each end, so the length can be adjusted from 82 feet to 164feet (25 m to 50m).

Starting Blocks

            For safety reasons, blocks with non-slip fiberglass tops are attached to the poolside. The top slopes down to the front to help swimmers dive off smoothly. Speakers are inserted into the blocks so that all the swimmers hear the start signal at the same time. Competition officials stand by the lane and check the timing, finish order, and weather finishes are legal.

Lane Lines

            Lane lines are used to stop people from swimming into each others path. The plastic disks are threaded over a wire. Disks alternate between two colors along the length of the pool. The third color change is a warning that the pool end is only 16 feet (5 m) away.

Backstroke Flags

            Flags strung across the pool 16 feet (5 m) from each end warn backstroke swimmers that the pool end is near. They are also used to know when to turn.