Master Basic Swimming Strokes: For Beginners
Swim Strokes For Beginners
If you’re about to embark on a swimming campaign, but you’re new to the sport, you’ll probably start by learning about the different swim strokes for beginners.
We’re going to break down the easiest swimming strokes for beginners in more detail, and that should give you a good idea of the best stroke for beginners, just like you.
Knowing a little about each stroke will help you determine which one will play to your strengths the most. Swim strokes for beginners will differ from person to person, but there are some that are considered the easiest swimming strokes for beginners.
What Are The 4 Basic Swim Strokes?
Once you have mastered the art of staying afloat in the water, you will move on to learning the different strokes. There are 4 basic strokes:
Breaststroke – As far as swim strokes for beginners goes, this one is popular due to the fact that during the learning process, the head can be kept out of the water. As you work on your technique you’ll come to realise that it’s not exactly the easiest swimming stroke for beginners to adopt. The difficulty attached to the breaststroke occurs when the swimmer starts to combine a rather unnatural movement with the legs, with carefully timed arm movements.
Backstroke – As the name suggests, this one is completed on your back, with the face fully out of the water at all times. This is considered to be one of the easiest swimming strokes for beginners as it allows for constant access to air, so breathing techniques are not so important. This one relies upon particularly strong leg muscles.
Butterfly – This one comes with a tough reputation! It requires a high level of shoulder, arm and abdominal strength as the swimmer pulls themselves forwards and upwards in one smooth movement. It’s a beautiful stroke to watch, when done properly. Due to the amount of upper body work, it can bring mass fatigue to these areas. Definitely the hardest swimming stroke to master. Not the best swim stroke for beginners, that’s for sure.
Freestyle – This is a fast paced, aggressive stroke, where all the little details make a difference. It relies upon a kicking action, rather than pulling, to move the swimmer forwards. It can be learnt as a beginners stroke, in a more basic form, and the term ‘doggy paddle’ is often used to describe a beginners attempt at this stroke. Seasoned professionals find that they are quick to become fatigued with this stroke, and they often experience a build up of lactic acid.
What are the 7 basic skills in swimming?
Before you make a decision about which stroke you prefer, you will need to master the 7 basic skills in swimming. These are:
Entering the water safely
Mastering your breathing
Floating
Coordination
Kicking
Strokes
Exiting the water
The best way to choose the right stroke for you is to give them all a try, under supervision. This will help you identify which stroke fits your level of skill and fitness, and you’ll be able to get more out of it if you’re doing it properly. Then, you can move onto a more challenging stroke until you are competent at them all.
Now all you have to do is get the right swimwear, and you’re good to go. Happy swimming!