Stroke descriptors Here are the words from the ASA that the Teachers use to assess the swimmers for NPTS awards. If you'd like to see the strokes in action, check out the BBC website either via this link http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/swimming/default.stm or if it's not working, go to bbc.co.uk, click on Sport, click 'other sport' on the left hand side, find 'swimming' at the bottom of the page, then find the 'Basics' section on the bottom left hand side.  This also shows Masterclasses, which is where the clips are. You'll also see other bits about water polo, synchro and diving.   All strokes are broken down and built back up in the same order - body position, legs, arms, breathing and timing.   Front crawl - this is also often called freestyle, as events usually have a 'freestyle' race where the entrants have a free choice of stroke to swim.  Most choose front crawl as it is arguably the fastest of all four strokes.  This is the best stroke for warming up at the start of your swim.    FRONT CRAWL  BASIC  EFFICIENT  EFFECTIVE  BODY POSITION HORIZONTAL, STRAIGHT, STREAMLINED, FACE IN WATER AS FOR BASIC AND: HIPS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN SHOULDER, EYES LOOKING SLIGHTLY FORWARD AND DOWNWARD, ROTATION OF SHOULDER AND UPPER BODY, HEAD STEADY AND CENTRAL EXCEPT FOR SMOOTH TURNING TO THE SIDE TO BREATH INCREASED SHOULDER AND UPPER BODY ROTATION ENABLES MORE POWER TO BE APPLIED IN THE PULL  LEGS AND FEET IN LINE WITH BODY, CLOSE TO SURFACE, STEADY ALTERNATE KICK, WHOLE LEG MOVEMENT WITH FEET AND TOES POINTED, SMALL SPLASH AS FOR BASIC AND: KNEES SLIGHTLY BENT, LEGS AND FEET PASS CLOSE TO EACH OTHER, ACTION ORIGINATING AT HIPS AND FINISHING WITH FEET PUSHING AGAINST WATER CONTROLLED AND STEADY FOR LONGER SWIMS AND LOWER SPEEDS: FASTER AND POWERFUL FOR SHORTER SWIMS AND FASTER SPEEDS  ARMS AND HANDS ALTERNATING ACTION WITH CONTROLLED ENTRY IN FRONT, FINGERS FIRST, HANDS PULL CLOSE TO THE BODY AND TOWARDS THE THIGHS, OVER THE WATER RECOVERY ACTION ENTRY: HAND SLIDES INTO WATER, ELBOW IS BENT, ENTRY BETWEEN SHOULDER AND HEAD, FINGER/WRIST/ELBOW ENTRY.  PROPULSION: AFTER ENTRY THE HAND MOVES SLIGHTLY OUT AND DOWN TO THE CATCH POSITION, PRESSES UNDER THE BODY, THEN PUSHES BACKWARDS AND OUTWARDS TOWARDS THE THIGHS.  RECOVERY: ELBOW LEAVES THE WATER FIRST FOLLOWED BY WRIST AND HAND, ARM MOVES OVER THE WATER, CLOSE TO THE BODY AND HEAD TO A CONTROLLED ENTRY SLIGHT LENGTHENING OF THE ACTION AT BOTH THE START AND FINISH OF THE PULL INCREASES THE DISTANCE OBTAINED FROM EACH STROKE  BREATHING CONTROLLED TURN OF HEAD TO THE SIDE, REGULAR PATTERN, ENSURE EXCHANGE OF AIR AS BASIC AND: AIR BLOWN STRONGLY INTO WATER JUST BEOFRE MOUTH CLEARS, INHALATION TAKEN QUICKLY, HEAD RETURN TO CENTRAL POSITION THE ABILITY TO BREATHE WITH EASE TO EITHER SIDE BALANCES THE STROKE  TIMING  CO-ORDINATION OF KICKING, PULLING AND BREATHING INTO A CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT  AS BASIC AND: SMOOTH CONTROLLED STROKE  THE RELATIONSHIP OF STROKE LENGTH AND STROKE RATE SHOULD BE DEVELOPED AND VARIES WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL AND WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SWIM   Back crawl - this is often called backstroke, when backstroke is any stroke swum on the back, and back crawl is the stroke described below.  This is also an important training stroke and is the other stroke that is OK to warm up with.    BACK CRAWL  BASIC  EFFICIENT  EFFECTIVE  BODY POSITION ALMOST HORIZONTAL, STRAIGHT, STREAMLINED, BACK OF THE HEAD IN THE WATER AS BASIC AND: HEAD PERFECTLY STILL IN A CENTRAL POSITION, CHEST CLEAR OF THE SURFACE WITH HIP AND SEAT SLIGHTLY SUBMERGED, CONTROLLED ROLLING OF THE SHOULDERS, SHOULDER CLEAR OF THE SURFAACE, EYES LOOKING UP AND SLIGHTLY FORWARD INCREASED SHOULDER AND UPPER BODY ROTATIONS, WHILE KEEPING THE HEAD STEADY, ENABLES MORE POWER TO BE APPLIED IN THE PULL  LEGS AND FEET IN LINE WITH THE BODY, STEADY ALTERNATING KICK, WHOLE LEG MOVEMENT WITH FEET AND TOES POINTED MAKING A SMALL SPLASH, KNEES KEPT UNDER THE SURFACE IN LINE WITH THE BODY, A POSITIVE ALTERNATING KICK ACTION, LEGS COMING CLOSE TO THE SURFACE BUT THE KNEES KEPT UNDER, WHOLE LEG MOVEMENT WITH KNEES BENDING SLIGHTLY AND LEGS PASSING CLOSE TO EACH OTHER, FEET POINTED AND SLIGHTLY IN-TES, WITH TOES MAKING A SLIGHT SPLASH AT THE SURFACE A CONTINUOUS POWERFUL KICK PROVIDES STABILITY FOR THE LOWER BODY  ARMS AND HANDS ALTERNATING CIRCULAR ACTION OVER AND UNDER THE WATER, CONTROLLED HAND ENTRY OVERHEAD AT FULL STRETCH IN LINE WITH THE SHOULDER, HAND AND ARM PULLS ROUND BY THE SIDE TO THE THIGH ENTRY: CONTROLLED WITH A STRAIGHT ELBOW, HAND PLACE INTO THE WATER, PALM FACING OUT AND LITTLE FINGER FIRST, IN LINE WITH THE SHOULDER, CONTINUES DOWN AS THE SHOULDERS ROLL ON THAT SIDE.  PROPULSION:  AT DEEPEST POINT AFTER ENTRY, ELBOW BENDS NAD HAND PRESSES ROUND AND BACKWARDS TOWARDS THE THIGH: AS THE ARM STRAIGHTENS THE HAND PRESSES DOWNWARDS, FACING THE POOL FLOOR, BEFORE SWEEPING TOWARDS THE THIGH AND UP TO THE SURFACE.  RECOVERY: THE SHOULDER LEADS, LIFTING UP AND ROUND AS THE HAND LEAVES THE WATER THUMB FIRST: THE ELBOW IS KEPT STRAIGHT AS THE ARM LIFTS STRAIGHT UP ABOVE THE SHOULDER TO THE ENTRY POINT. A CONTROLLED ENTRY AND DEEP CATCH WITH SHOULDER ROLL FOLLOWED BY A STRONG BENT ELBOW PULL RIGHT THFOUGH TO THE THIGH INCREASES THE POWER AND DISTANCE OBTAINED FROM EACH STROKE  BREATHING BREATH IS EXCHANGED REGULARLY AS REQUIRED OCCURS NATURALLY BUT REGULARLY IN RELATION TO THE EFFORT PHASES OF THE ARMS CONTROLLED REGULAR BREATHING RELATED TO THE EFFORT PHASES OF THE STROKE  TIMING CO-ORDINATION OF KICKING A PULLING INTO A CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT CO-ORDINATION OF KICKING AND PULLING INTO A CONTINUOUS CONSISTENT MOVEMENT PATTERN; SMOOTH CONTROLLED STROKE THE RELATIONSHIP OF STROKE LENGTH AND STROKE RATE SHOULD BE DEVELOPED AND VARIES WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL AND WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SWIM   Breaststroke next - this is a simultaneous stroke as the legs move at the same time, and the arms move at the same time.    BREASTSTROKE  BASIC  EFFICIENT  EFFECTIVE  BODY POSITION STRETCHED, STREAMLINED ON THE FRONT FOLLOWING THE KICK, LIFTING OF THE HEAD AND SHOULDER TO BREATHE DURING THE PULL FROM A STRETCHED STREAMLINED POSITION, WITH THE HEAD IN LINE, FACE IN THE WATER; THE HEAD AND UPPER BODY WILL RISE AND FALL IN RELATION TO THE KICK, PULL AND BREATHING PATTERN AN UNDULATING WAVE LIKE FLOW DURING THE WHOLE STROKE CYCLE WITH A STRETCHED STREAMLINED POSITION AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE KICK  LEGS AND FEET SIMULTANEOUS KICK, BRING FEET TOWARDS THE SEAT, FLATTEN AND TURN OUT, KICK ROUND AND BACK IN A CIRCULAR PATTERN, AND BRING THE FEET AND LEGS TOGETHER AGAIN AT FULL STRETCH RECOVERY: FROM THE EXTENDED POSITION, THE KNEES BEND, DRAWING THE HEELS UP CLOSE TO THE SEAT AND STILL UNDER THE WATER; KNEES BEHIND THE SEAT AND ABOUT HIP WIDTH APART.  CATCH: BOTH FEET FLATTEN AND TURN INTO THE CHARACTERISTIC 'FROG' POSTION.  PROPULSION:  THE FLAT FEET KICK BACK, ROUND AND SLIGHTLY DOWNWARD WITH THE SOLES AND INSTEP PRESSING ON THE WATER UNTIL THE LEGS ARE ALMOST STRAIGHT WHEN THE FEET POINT AND COME TOGETHER FULLY EXTENDED A STRONG ACCELERATING DRIVE OF THE FEET BACKWARDS  ARMS AND HANDS FROM STRETCH POSITION, BOTH HANDS PRESS OUT AND ROUND IN A SMALL CIRCULAR ACTION IN FRONT OF THE SHOULDERS CATCH: FROM THE FULL STRETCH POSITION, THE HANDS, FACING SLIGHTLY OUTWARDS NAD DOWN, PRESS OUT SIDEWAYS TO A 'Y' POSITION JUST WIDE OF THE SHOULDERS.  PROPULSION: THE HANDS LEAD THE FOREARMS IN A DOWNWARDS AND INWARDS CIRCLING ACTION, BRINGING THE HANDS CLOSE TOGETHER UNDER THE CHIN; THE HANDS FACE EACH OTHER WITH THE ELBOWS AND UPPER ARMS FOLLOWING THEM IN.  RECOVERY: WITH NO HESITATION, THE HANDS AND FOREARMS MOVE SMOOTHLY AND CONTINUOUSLY UNDER THE CHIN AND STRETCH FORWARD TO THE STARTING POSITION EMPHASIS ON THE STRONG INWARD SWEEP OF THE HANDS AND FOREARMS LEADING IMMEDIATELY INTO THE CONTROLLED DRIVE FORWARD TO THE FULL STRETCH POSITION; MAINTAIN A FAST RHYTHM  BREATHING LIFTING THE HEAD TO THE FRONT DURING THE ARM ACTION AND BEFORE EACH KICK ONCE IN EACH STROKE CYCLE, TO THE FRONT AS THE HANDS AND ARMS PULL AND BEOFRE THE KICK CONTROLLED REGULAR BREATHING, INHALING DURING THE ARM PULLING ACTION AND EXHALING TOWARDS THE END OF THE STRETCH WILL PROVIDE THE BEST TIMING  TIMING FROM THE FRONT EXTENDED POSITION, THE HANDS AND ARMS PULL DURING WHICH ACTION THE BREATHIS TAKEN FOLLOWED BY THE KICK AND A RETURN TO THE EXTENDED POSITION FROM THE FULLY STRETCHED POSITION, THE ARMS PULL, THE BREATH IS TAKEN, THE ARMS BEGIN TO RECOVER, THEN THE LEGS RECOVER AND KICK BACK TO THE FULL STRETCH POSITION: PULL, BREATHE, KICK, STRETCH THE RELATIONSHIP OF STROKE LENGTH AND STROKE RATE VARIES WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL AND WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SWIM, AND SHOULD BE DEVELOPED   And lastly, butterfly.  This is often just called fly and is a beautiful stroke to see when swum well.    BUTTERFLY  BASIC  EFFICIENT  EFFECTIVE  BODY POSITION  LYING ON THE FRONT, VARYING WITH THE UNDULATION THROUGHOUT THE STROKE CYCLE FROM THE EXTENDED POSITION, HANDS STRETCHED OUT IN FRONT; WITH THE HEAD IN LINE AND FACE IN THE WATER; THE HEAD AND UPPER BODY WILL RISE AND FALL IN RELATION TO UNDULATION FROM THE KICK, PULL AND BREATHING PATTERN  FACE IN THE WATER BEFORE THE HANDS ENTER WILL IMPROVE STREAMLINING  LEGS AND FEET A SIMULTANEOUS KICK, STARTING AT THE SEAT; THE MOVEMENT TRAVELS DOWN THROUGH THE LEGS TO THE FEET, TOES POINTED FULL UNDULATING MOVEMENT OF THE HIPS, LEGS AND FEET; THE SEAT LIFTS AND LOWERS; THE KNEES BEND AND STRAIGHTEN; FEET AND TOES ARE LONG AND POINTED A STRONG RHYTMIC WHIP-LIKE KICK, BEGINNING AT THESEAT AND FLOWING THROUGH TO THE TOES  ARMS AND HANDS A SIMULTANEOUS CIRCLING ACTION, HANDS ENTER THE WATER IN FRONT OF THE SHOULDERS, PRESS SLIGHTLY OUTWARDS, THEN PULL IN AND UNDER THE BODY THROUGH TOWARDS THE HIPS; HANDS SWING LOW OVER THE WATER BACK TO ENTRY POSITION ENTRY: THE HANDS ENTER IN FRONT, IN LINE BETWEEN THE SHOULDERS AND HEAD.  PROPULSION: FOLLOWING ENTRY, THE HANDS THEN MOVE SLIGHTLY OUT AND DOWN TO THE CATCH POSITION; SWEEP IN UNDER THE BODY THE BACK AND THROUGH TO THE THIGHS.  RECOVERY:  A SMOOTH DOUBLE ARM RECOVERY OVER THE WATER SURFACE. EMPHASISING THE CATCH, PULLING UNDER THE BODY AND FOLLOWING THROUGH TO THE THIGHS WILL PROVIDE POWER AND DISTANCE IN EACH STROKE  BREATHING LIFTING THE HEAD TO THE FRONT DURING THE ARM ACTION THE HEAD IS LIFTED TO THE FRONT WITH THE CHIN FORWARD BEFORE THE HANDS COMPLETE THEIR PUSH THROUGH TO THE LEGS CONTROLLED REGULAR BREATHING RELATED TO THE EFFORT PHASES OF THE STROKE  TIMING KICK/PULL/KICK/RECOVER; BREATH TAKEN DURING THE PULL A STEADY CONSTANT UNDULATION WITH TWO KICKS TO EACH ARM CYCLE; BREATHING ONCE DURING EACH STROKE CYCLE OR EACH ALTERNATE STROKE CYCLE EMPHASIS ON A STEADY RHYTHMIC AND CONTROLLED BALANCE OF KICK AND PULL ENABLES THE STROKE TO BE SWIM CONTINUOUSLY OVER LONGER DISTANCES