Freestyle
The freestyle stroke is the most compact of all the strokes and enables you to cut through the water quickly and efficiently. To do this, your arms must stay close to your body before you rotate them forward. If your arms begin to flail sideways in the water as you finish a stroke, your arm exits the water away from your body, which creates drag. Ensure that you fully rotate your arms down and back through the water, until they reach the sides of your hips. To further reduce drag, keep your head submerged as one arm is performing a stroke. Then, along with your shoulder, rotate your head up and slightly back as you begin to rotate your other arm forward. Take a deep breath during the recovery before you submerge your head and arm again.
Backstroke
Your backstroke can be made more efficient by keeping your body as horizontal as possible. Don't allow your lower body to dip below your upper body, as this increases drag. While it is important to stay horizontal, it is also important to remain submerged as much as possible. Control your flutter kicks so that your legs do not break the surface of the water. Finishing kicks outside of the water wastes energy. Your arm rotation technique is also key to a more efficient backstroke. As you rotate your arms backward, ensure that your hands enter the water with your little fingers first. This positions the hand properly so that it can act as a paddle once you begin to rotate your arm down through the water.
Breaststroke
Leg technique is often a problem for swimmers when doing the breaststroke. Pace and rhythm are critical for a good breaststroke, which means your arms must be in tune with what your legs are doing. As you bring your arms together in front of you in preparation for a stroke, pull your legs in toward your buttocks, keeping your feet together. As you reach forward and spread your arms, kick your legs backward and extend them fully. Ensure that your feet are pointing away from you, which enables the top of your feet to move more water.
Butterfly
The butterfly stroke is physically demanding and requires, above all, a well-timed breathing technique. Proper breathing during the butterfly is dependent on good rhythm. The stroke of the arms must alternate with the kicking of your legs. As you finish the stroke, kick hard with your legs to propel your body forward. Keep your legs together as you kick to produce a powerful forward thrust. Arch your back slightly. This encourages your upper body to shoot out from the water at a slight angle. During your recovery period, take a deep breath while engaging your arms for the next stroke.