The Differences Between Swimming Strokes

In general, there are 4 swimming strokes that are competed including freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly stroke. Each swimming stroke has own differentiation in body position, legs movements, and breathing. Here, we will talk about the differences between a swimming stroke. As the athlete is important to master each style because the swimmer who won the swimming contests was the swimmer who completed the fastest track based on the swimming styles that competed.

Swimming Strokes

Distinguishing the Swimming Freestyle with Backstroke

There are many differences that occur between the freestyle and the backstroke.

Body Position

The body position of the freestyle must be horizontal although the foot is still deep enough in the water, while in the backstroke, the body position is supine. To maintain that position, there are a few things of concern.

The chest, shoulders, and pelvis are in the water
The face is slightly above the surface of the water so it can freely to take a breath
Both legs are lower than the back and alternately kick the water

Legs Movements

The legs movement in backstroke is the same as the movement of the legs in the freestyle only in the upside position. The leg movement exercises:

Sit on the edge of the pool then both feet straightened into the water, do the movement of the foot
With the supine position, both hands touch the edge of the pool
With supine position and using a buoy

Breathing

Backstroke breathing is very different from freestyle. Taking the breath in backstroke is easier because the mouth and nose are always above the surface of the water so just set the time.

Distinguishing the Swimming Freestyle with Butterfly Stroke

The freestyle pattern has similarities and differences in the pattern of the butterfly stroke. The equation lies in the technique of gliding, while the difference in the arm movement.

Arm Movement

In the freestyle, there are 3 kinds of arm movements namely pull, push, and recovery
At the time of the butterfly stroke, there are two kinds of swimming movements, the arm above water and underwater

Distinguishing the Swimming Freestyle with Breaststroke

The differentiation between freestyle and breaststroke is the legs movement techniques. The following is the way to do the legs move in the breaststroke.

Pull both legs close to hips, both thighs slightly open, then turn the ankle out and ready to push
Push both legs simultaneously back slightly sideways to form half circle below the water surface