Technique

The four competitive strokes.

Freestyle

Front crawl — the fastest stroke.

Key cues

High elbow catch — fingertips down, forearm vertical
Rotate from the hips, not the shoulders alone
Bilateral breathing keeps the stroke symmetrical
Two-beat or six-beat kick from the hip with relaxed ankles

Common faults

Crossing over the centerline
Lifting the head to breathe
Wide, scissor kicks

Watch Freestyle tutorials by MySwimPro

Backstroke

The only stroke swum on your back.

Key cues

Long body line — head still, eyes up
Pinky enters first, thumb exits first
Drive rotation from the hips up to 30°
Steady flutter kick just below the surface

Common faults

Sitting in the water (hips drop)
Over-reaching across the body
Bent-knee kick breaking the surface

Watch Backstroke tutorials by MySwimPro

Breaststroke

Pull, breathe, kick, glide.

Key cues

Outsweep → insweep → recovery, hands stay in front of shoulders
Heels to the seat, then snap whip-kick outward and together
One pull, one kick, one breath per cycle
Streamline glide after every kick — that's where speed lives

Common faults

Dolphin kicks beyond the allowed pullout
Asymmetric (scissor) kick
Head bobbing instead of body undulation

Watch Breaststroke tutorials by MySwimPro

Butterfly

Rhythm beats power.

Key cues

Two kicks per arm cycle — one on entry, one on exit
Press the chest down to lift the hips
Hands enter shoulder-width, sweep out then in (keyhole)
Breathe forward and low — chin just clears the water

Common faults

Lifting the head too high to breathe
Single kick per cycle
Asymmetric arm recovery

Watch Butterfly tutorials by MySwimPro