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PaperclipPerfector  3mo ago (text post)   2581 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for August 9, 2024

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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Didn't they change the breaststroke rules because the Japanese found out a more efficient way to do it that wasn't spectator-friendly? Or was that something my swim coach made up/I made up my swim coach making up?

That's basically why the butterfly stroke exists. A handful of swimmers (none Japanese, as far as I can recall) in the 1930s independently figured out the dolphin kick as an improvement to the breaststroke, then someone combined it with the above-water recovery. This all technically fit within the official definitions of a breaststroke at the time and completely broke the meta of the sport. Within a couple years, the classic breastroke was completely obsolete and officials had to make butterfly its own separate event in order to save it.

Oh right, that was it! In '04 Kosuke Kitajima started adding butterfly kicks back into the breaststroke pull out, causing some controversy and rule changes.

I suppose this is as good a place to ask as any: Why do non-freestyle swimming races exist (also, race-walking)?

Is there a reason why people would want to use a slower swimming style in everyday life, or what?

Is there a reason why people would want to use a slower swimming style in everyday life, or what?

I prefer backstroke because I tend to panic when my nose goes underwater.

(As an aside, while I can swim the Australian crawl - which is the actual name of the stroke universally used in freestyle swimming competitions - I can't swim breaststroke with the frog-kick; the last time I tried, one of my knees popped out of joint and I had to be rescued.)

Is there a reason why people would want to use a slower swimming style in everyday life, or what?

The classic breast and side strokes are slow but efficient so you do see them used a fair bit in combined events like triathalons and by channel swimmers and the like. Butterfly and freestyle are faster but also have significant downsides when used outside a pool or closed course

It's mostly just the force of inertia now. There is literally no natural context in which one would choose to use the butterfly stroke as a means of locomotion. Breastroke, backstroke, and (the no longer used in competition) sidestroke actually have purposes though.

Breaststroke has the advantage of keeping your head mostly out of the water so you can be aware of your surroundings (especially important in open-water swimming). You also don't don't need goggles and aren't getting water in your ears.

Sidestroke is very slow, but very efficient for long-distance swimming. You're only actively working one side of your body at a time, so you can switch off and keep going for significantly longer than you would otherwise. It's probably a good idea for everyone to know the sidestroke because it can mean the difference between life and death if you ever find yourself stranded far from shore for any reason.

Backstroke allows you to swim backwards. Which I admit isn't super important. But I find that the ability to quickly change directions and move about freely while swimming makes me feel good and in control while in the water.

Butterfly exists because it's way faster than breaststroke, and originally technically fit within the rules for breastroke in competitions. It exists to exploit an olympic loophole from 80 years ago and serves no other purpose.

Good writeup. How do you learn new swimming techniques? I basically only know how to do a breaststroke while keeping my head above water the whole time, and doggy paddle.

Thanks. I learned while on the swim team in high school. I imagine most pools (and especially gyms with pools) offer adult swim lessons that can help you develop proper technique. If not, your local gym should be able to put you in touch with a personal trainer with swimming experience who can work with you.

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