A good swimming technique allows you to gain the maximum amount of speed while conserving the most energy. This is especially important when swimming competitively. Maintaining the correct form and breathing style are two of the most important techniques regardless of which stroke you swim.
Front Crawl
The front crawl is the most common competitive swimming stroke and can be one of the fastest if you maintain proper body alignment. You should maximize the amount of time spent on your side when you rotate your body to take a breath and minimize the time you spend with your face down in the water. When your body is elongated on its side, it makes it easier for you to slide through the water since your shoulders are providing less resistance in this position. Keeping your body parallel to the surface of the water will also allow you to move more rapidly, especially if you stay as close as you can to the surface of the water. The deeper your legs and arms are in the water, the more water resistance they have to push through to propel your body. Alternating your breathing is important in the front crawl, because it keeps you from getting neck and shoulder cramps from the repetitive motion of turning to the same side.
Butterfly
The butterfly stroke is one of the most difficult, but most powerful strokes in competitive swimming. It is important to fully develop your upper body muscles for this stroke, and ensure you do not have any shoulder issues, as these can severely hamper your ability to perform the butterfly stroke. Your arms come out of the water in a full circle during the butterfly stroke. This helps increase your speed since your arms do not have to fight the water resistance by remaining under the water's surface. Breathing is very important in the butterfly stroke, and you should only take a breath when it is necessary. The more your head remains in the water during the butterfly, the faster you will be able to propel yourself through the water.
Breast Stroke
The breast stroke is the most popular stroke for fitness and the easiest to learn, but it is the slowest competitive stroke. Your arms and legs remain under the surface of the water during the entire stroke, so you must fight against the water's resistance. Smaller arm movements allow you to pull water more quickly past your body and therefore move more rapidly through the water. Coordinating your leg and arm movements also allows you to move more quickly in the water. You should aim to make the pulling motion with your arms, then whip your legs so your arms and legs are straight during the "glide" portion of the stroke.
Back Stroke
The back stroke is the second slowest competitive stroke and the only stroke performed on the back. Since your face is out of the water the entire time, breathing is not an issue with this stroke. You should make sure one arm is entering the water as the other arm is exiting the water. This ensures you are constantly pulling or pushing the water to propel yourself along. Enter the water using your little finger and exit the water with your thumb. This maintains your hand positioning throughout the stroke, and makes it the most effective for moving the water. You should keep a steady pace with the flutter kick and kick from the hip, not from the knee or ankle, for the most power.
Diving
Competitive swimmers enter the water from starting blocks along the edge of the pool. Sometimes, the dive from the starting block can result in whether you win or lose the race. You should try to dive as far out as you can, and stay underwater for the longest amount of time possible before surfacing and starting the stroke. Keep your head tucked and your arms stretched over your head, with one hand on top of the other for the maximum streamline of your body. Make sure your hips are high and you propel yourself up and forward from the diving block, entering the water first with your fingertips and splashing as little as possible.
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