Research Topic No.

2:
Different Swimming Strokes and Styles

1. Freestyle/Front Crawl
This is the most popular stroke and the easiest for beginners to learn. It is a simple
flutter kick and windmill arm motion, like the backstroke, only on your belly. The most
difficult part is coordinating the breathing since your face is in the water most of the time.

The leg kick:

 It's a flutter kick where the legs kick in an alternating order.

 Bend the knees slightly.
 Relax the feet and ankles (should be almost floppy).
 Emphasize the down-kick for propulsion.

The arm stroke:

 Move the arms in an alternating windmill motion.

 Pull each arm through the water with equal strength and arm reach to ensure that you
swim straight.
 Pull arms underwater in an "S" pattern.
 Cup the hands but keep the wrist and hand relaxed during recovery.

The breathing:

 Raise one arm to begin the stroke. As the shoulder rises, turn the head to catch a
breath.
 Turn the head only enough to leave the water to breathe. Do not lift the head because
it will slow you down.
 Take as many breaths as necessary and then exhale through the nose and mouth when
the head returns to the water.
 Repeat the head turn to the other side in coordination with the beginning of the
opposite arm stroke.

2. Backstroke
 The backstroke is easier than the butterfly or breaststroke and similar to the crawl
in that you use an alternate windmill arm stroke and flutter kick. Two keys to a proper
backstroke are that your arms move with equal strength, otherwise you will swim off to
one side, and that your body rolls from side to side so that your arms catch enough water
to propel you forward.

The leg kick:

 Is a flutter kick where the legs kick in an alternating order.

 Bend the knees slightly.
 Relax the feet and ankles (they should be almost floppy).
 Emphasize the up-kick for propulsion.

The arm stroke:

 Move the arms in an alternating, windmill pattern as they rotate and pass your face.
 Cup the hands, and the thumb leaves the water first.
 Move the hands in an "S" pattern when they are pushing the water.

The breathing:

 Keep your head back and eyes toward the ceiling.

 You can find your own breathing pattern with the backstroke because the breathing
is less coordinated with the arms and kick than other strokes since your head should
always be out of the water.

3. Breaststroke
The breaststroke involves exquisite timing, and in fact, you can be disqualified
from competition if you miss even one stroke. The stroke involves form that causes your
body to bob up and down as you glide forward through the water. This is a
difficult stroke and not one to choose if you're just learning how to swim. The basics are
that your arms pull, you breathe, you kick (arms alternate with the kick), and you glide.
Here are details.
The leg kick:
 Bring the knees to chest.
 Thrust the legs backward and straight.
 Snap the legs together to push the water and propel you forward (frog kick).
 The arm stroke:

 Start with the arms overhead.

 Pull on the water, and bring arms toward the chest.
 Keep the hands cupped.
 Return arms to starting position.

The breathing:

 Breathe every time you stroke with your arms.

4. Butterfly
Like the breaststroke, this is a difficult stroke and not recommended for beginners
because it requires perfect timing and a good deal of strength. During the stroke, the legs
move together in a dolphin kick (imagine a mermaid), the arms move together to push the
water downward and backward, and the torso undulates like an earthworm as the body
moves forward through the water.

The leg kick:

 Bend the knees slightly, and keep them together.

 Make a downward thrust by straightening the knees and whipping the feet downward.
 There should be two kicks for every arm stroke.

The arm stroke:

 Move the arms together, and pull through the water with the hands cupped.
 Face the palms outward, and press down and outward.
 Swing the arms forward above the water in a sweeping motion to complete the stroke.

The breathing:

 Breathe at the end of the arm stroke.

5. The freestyle flip turn (when swimming the crawl)

There are a couple of options for turning around when you reach the wall during
lap swimming. You can simply touch the wall and turn around and start swimming again
or you can do a flip turn. The flip turn is essentially a somersault in the water where you
flip and turn and use your legs to power-kick off the wall. The flip turn, when completed
properly, is fast, efficient, and time-saving. If you've ever watched Olympic swimming,
you see the swimmers gracefully execute their flip turns. Here are the basics.
  Start the somersault before reaching the wall by tucking the chin and pulling the
knees into a tuck position.
 Blow out air to avoid inhaling water.
 Straighten out the body-tuck halfway through the flip and extend the legs toward the
wall.
 You will be on your back at this point.
 Push off the wall.
 Roll over onto the belly and glide toward the surface of the water.
 Hold the glide until you break the surface of the water, and then start stroking
immediately.

6. Sidestroke
This is an older swimming style that is not typically used in swim competitions, but is
still an important stroke to learn for safety reasons. It is most commonly used by
lifeguards when they rescue someone, as this stroke most easily allows you to pull
something along with you. It involves swimming on your side, as the name implies,
propelling yourself forward with a scissor kick and alternating arm movements. It’s one
of the easier strokes to learn, and can be a nice break from the more popular swim strokes
if you’re looking to add more variety into your routine.
One way to remember the sidestroke is by comparing it to apple picking. Your first arm
will stretch above your head and pick an apple, then your hands will meet in front of your
chest. The first arm hands the apple to the second arm (the side of the body that is on top
and partly out of the water). The second arm will reach out to toss the apple behind you
as the first arm reaches above your head for another apple.

7. Elementary Backstroke
This is a variation from the typical backstroke you see. It uses a reversed breaststroke
kick while your arms move in sync beneath the water. It’s called “elementary” because of
its simple technique that’s easy to pick up, and is often one of the first swim strokes
taught to new swimmers for this reason.
This stroke is often taught to children using fun nicknames for the parts of the movement.
Bring your hands to your armpits like a monkey, spread your arms like an airplane, then
push them down to your sides like a soldier.

8. Combat Side Stroke

This is a form of the sidestroke that all US Navy SEALs have to learn. Efficient and
energy-saving, the combat side stroke is a kind of a combination of breaststroke,
freestyle, and, obviously, sidestroke. It reduces the swimmer’s profile in the water,
making them less visible while allowing them to swim with maximum efficiency–two
critical criteria for combat operations that require swimming on the surface. You will
 focus on balance, length, and rotation. The combat side stroke is a relatively complicated
stroke to learn.
9. Trudgen
This stroke evolved from the sidestroke and is named after the English swimmer John
Trudgen. You swim mostly on your side, alternating lifting each arm out of the water and
over your head. It uses a scissor kick that only comes in every other stroke. When your
left arm is over your head, you spread your legs apart to prepare to kick, and then as the
arm comes down you straighten your legs and snap them together for the scissor kick.
This stroke is particularly unique because your head remains above the water for the
entirety.

Reference:
https://www.medicinenet.com/swimming/article.htm#what_are_the_swimming_strokes