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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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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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