Flutter Kick, Trudgen, Combat Stroke and the Scissor Rick are some secret swimming strokes to discover.
Every swimmer knows about the 4 most common swimming strokes. These are the Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke, and Butterfly stroke. But some lesser-known strokes also exist, such as the Flutter Kick, Trudgen, Combat Stroke, and the Scissor Kick. As interesting as their names suggest, these are also challenging to learn and practice.
#1 Flutter Kick
Flutter kick is a variation of the front crawl. You use flutters and kicks to propel the body forward, both motions that help to steady your body. Your legs are parallel to each other throughout the swim, and movements resemble horizontal walking. While one leg goes up, the other moves down. This high power-swimming stroke burns more calories than low-energy variants.
#2 Trudgen
The Trudgen is a variant of the front crawl stroke, named after John Arthur Trudgen. Also popularly known as the racing stroke, this combines the techniques of scissor kick, sidestroke, and front crawl to give speed and extreme agility in the water. Trudgen stroke is performed predominantly on one side, with a regular lifting of both arms alternatively.
Extend one arm over your head and spread your legs to mimic a kick. When your right arm goes up, your legs are extended to perform a scissor kick. This alternating spreading and snapping back of your legs will help you create momentum, while your hands propel you forward.
#3 Combat Stroke
The Combat stroke is a variation of the sidestroke, popular among the SEAL candidates. This is an effective low-energy stroke, useful for lengthy swimming sessions. The kick and the pull are the two major components of this stroke. Since Combat stroke tires beginners quickly, it’s best to attempt it only once you are comfortable swimming, with the other strokes.
#4 Scissor Kick
Scissor kick is by and large a propulsion technique and a vital part of the sidestroke. To do this, you open your straightened legs to form a “V” in the pool, and then close them. Repeat this movement, to move forward. The Scissor kick is energy consuming, and requires plenty of stamina. You burn 750 to 800 calories per hour, if you do this stroke right.