Freestyle Snobs?

Former Member
Former Member
Am I alone in pursuing freestyle only? I never understood/appreciated anything other than "swim as fast as you can from A to B". I was a long time hard-core runner, and the different swimstrokes seems to me to be akin to running backwards or sideways. (Or....heaven forbid......Racewalking!!) Why shouldn't swimming follow the same path as running? Ie No stroke rules. Just go from A to B in the water anyway you wish? As fast as you can. School me! Kick my ass! In my newbieness I cannot understand anything other than "A to B in the water as fast as you can." Why do we have these 4 different strokes? It seems like a beauty contest. (I expect to be crucified for such blasphemy.) Educate me, USMS people. Help me understand why you would want to find a way to swim slower!! :)
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  • Former Member
    Former Member over 5 years ago
    Am I alone in pursuing freestyle only? I never understood/appreciated anything other than "swim as fast as you can from A to B". I was a long time hard-core runner, and the different swimstrokes seems to me to be akin to running backwards or sideways. (Or....heaven forbid......Racewalking!!) Why shouldn't swimming follow the same path as running? Ie No stroke rules. Just go from A to B in the water anyway you wish? As fast as you can. School me! Kick my ass! In my newbieness I cannot understand anything other than "A to B in the water as fast as you can." Why do we have these 4 different strokes? It seems like a beauty contest. (I expect to be crucified for such blasphemy.) Educate me, USMS people. Help me understand why you would want to find a way to swim slower!! :) I have the same feeling of you therefore only do freestyle. For me, breaststroke is only used when need to have better sighing, backstroke is a recovery stroke, and butterfly is simply a mean to show off, completely useless on its own.
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  • Former Member
    Former Member over 5 years ago
    Am I alone in pursuing freestyle only? I never understood/appreciated anything other than "swim as fast as you can from A to B". I was a long time hard-core runner, and the different swimstrokes seems to me to be akin to running backwards or sideways. (Or....heaven forbid......Racewalking!!) Why shouldn't swimming follow the same path as running? Ie No stroke rules. Just go from A to B in the water anyway you wish? As fast as you can. School me! Kick my ass! In my newbieness I cannot understand anything other than "A to B in the water as fast as you can." Why do we have these 4 different strokes? It seems like a beauty contest. (I expect to be crucified for such blasphemy.) Educate me, USMS people. Help me understand why you would want to find a way to swim slower!! :) I have the same feeling of you therefore only do freestyle. For me, breaststroke is only used when need to have better sighing, backstroke is a recovery stroke, and butterfly is simply a mean to show off, completely useless on its own.
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