Today’s Whiteboard Wednesday dives into the stroke mechanics of short axis and long axis strokes. These two types of strokes fundamentally different and in this lesson, we’ll look at how to train both of them!

Each of the 5 strokes (yup, five) have their own characteristics that should not be ignored. Below is a brief categorization. The key difference between short axis and long axis strokes is where the kinetic energy originates from.

Short Axis Strokes - Breaststroke - Butterfly - Underwater Dolphin Kick

Long Axis Strokes - Freestyle - Backstroke