Swimming is famously a full-body workout, a life-saving skill, and something really fun to do. To become a strong swimmer, you must know the various swimming strokes.
Each stroke offers unique challenges and benefits, so you can choose between speed, endurance, relaxation, and safety. From freestyle to butterfly, each of these strokes can be used to build strength, increase lung capacity, and develop coordination.
Let's examine the most popular and practical swimming strokes and provide tips and insights to help you master them.
Freestyle (Front Crawl): The Fastest Stroke
The freestyle stroke or front crawl is the fastest and most energy-efficient swimming technique.
It's the first stroke taught to beginners in competitive races since the body position is relatively straightforward.
Key Features of the Freestyle Stroke
- Body position: Keep your body horizontal and close to the water's surface. A streamlined body reduces drag and conserves energy.
- Arm movement: One arm pulls through the water while the other recovers above the surface. This alternating motion creates constant propulsion.
- Flutter kick: Use a quick, alternating leg movement to stabilize the body and add speed. Your feet should remain just below the water’s surface.
- Breathing technique: Turn your head to the side during the arm recovery phase. Exhale underwater, then breathe in quickly before turning back down.
Why Freestyle is Great
Freestyle is a popular swimming stroke because of its speed, efficiency, and versatility. As a workout, it can strengthen your core, arms, legs, and lungs.
It's also a good stroke for burning many calories, which is great if you swim for fitness.
As the name suggests, the backstroke is performed on your back. It's also the only competitive swimming stroke performed on the swimmer's back.
Backstroke: Smooth and Relaxed
This is a good swimming stroke for swimmers and beginners who aren't too confident about putting their faces in the water.
Key Features of the Backstroke
- Body position: Lie flat on your back with your body straight and your eyes looking upward. Keep your hips high and your head steady.
- Arm motion: Perform alternating circular movements. As one arm recovers out of the water, the other pulls through the water straight from above your shoulder to past your hip.
- Flutter kick: Like in freestyle, a continuous flutter kick from the legs helps maintain balance and drive. Kick from the hips, not the knees, and keep your feet below the surface.
- Breathing: The most significant advantage? You can breathe freely throughout the stroke. However, a steady breathing rhythm is still essential for consistency and pacing.
Benefits of Backstroke
Backstroke is good for recovery after long swim sets. It strengthens the shoulders, back, and hamstrings and reinforces body position and core stability.
Breaststroke: Controlled and Calm
The breaststroke is another popular swimming stroke. It's popular for beginner and casual swimmers as it's generally slower and offers greater visibility.
It's not the fastest stroke, but it's efficient for longer distances, allowing for a great endurance workout.
Key Features of the Breaststroke
- Body movement: Keep your body flat and horizontal, starting in a streamlined position with each stroke.
- Arm motion: Sweep both arms out and back in a circular motion under the water, like drawing a heart shape. Hands meet in front of the chest before gliding forward.
- Frog kick: Instead of a flutter, the legs perform a simultaneous whip-like motion known as the frog kick. Pull your feet toward your body, then press outward in a circular path.
- Breathing: Inhale when the head lifts during the arm pull. Exhale entirely while the face is in the water during the glide phase.
Why Breaststroke is a Great Choice
This is an excellent stroke for survival swimming as it keeps your head above water for extended periods. It's also fantastic for strengthening your chest, shoulders, and thighs.
Butterfly: Power and Coordination
The butterfly stroke is fast and difficult. It requires strength, timing, and precise technique, so it's often taught as an advanced stroke.
It's challenging to learn, but it can significantly improve a swimmer's upper body strength, rhythm, and breathing control.
Key Features of the Butterfly
- Body position: The swimmer's body should remain flat and close to the surface of the water, propelling forward with fluid, wave-like movements.
- Arm movement: Both arms move in a circular motion, pulling under the water and recovering over it simultaneously.
- Dolphin kick: This signature kick involves keeping the legs and feet together in a unified whipping motion from the hips. It resembles a dolphin’s tail movement and is essential for momentum.
- Breathing: Swimmers typically breathe every 1-2 strokes by lifting their heads forward just before their arms exit the water. This timing is crucial to maintaining flow and avoiding drag.
Why Swimmers Choose Butterfly
As a physically demanding stroke, the butterfly is great for various muscle groups, including your shoulders, core, and arms. It also burns a lot of calories.
Sidestroke: The Safety Swim
The sidestroke isn't a competitive stroke. Instead, it's a safety stroke used for efficiency and practicality.
This is a traditional swimming stroke taught in life-saving courses. It is useful in any situation where a swimmer needs to save energy or assist somebody else.
Key Features of the Sidestroke
- Body position: Lie on one side of your body with your head above water. One arm extends forward while the other rests along the side or helps with balance.
- Scissor kick: The legs perform a wide, powerful scissor kick, where one leg moves forward and the other backwards before snapping together to push the body forward.
- Arm motion: The leading arm reaches out and pulls back through the water, while the trailing arm assists minimally for added support and control.
- Breathing: Because your face stays above the surface, breathing is continuous and relaxed, ideal for long durations or rescue situations.
Why Sidestroke is Worth Learning
Even though you won't use this in a race, it is a stroke that swimmers of all levels should learn. It is about conserving energy while moving forward, often while carrying another person.
Elementary Backstroke: Basic and Buoyant
The elementary backstroke is an accessible swimming stroke popular with beginners, children, and casual swimmers.
Key Features of the Elementary Backstroke
- Body position: Float on your back with your head, hips, and legs in line at the water's surface. Your face must remain above water at all times.
- Arm movement: Both arms move in unison, sweeping outward from the chest, down alongside the body, and returning to the chest in a calm, circular motion.
- Frog kick: The legs perform a frog-like kick, similar to the breaststroke, with both feet moving outward and then snapping together.
- Breathing: Since your head is above water the entire time, breathing is effortless and can be done naturally.
Why Elementary Backstroke Is Ideal for Beginners
This is a good stroke for body alignment. It's also a good recovery stroke since swimmers can stay afloat with minimal effort.
Breath control
Body alignment
Timing and rhythm
Kicking technique
Arm coordination
Advanced Styles: Combat Side Stroke and Trudgen
Most swimmers will focus on the four competitive strokes, but there are lesser-known techniques that can be used in rescue, tactical, or long-distance scenarios.
The combat side stroke and the Trudgen stroke are two of these.
Combat Side Stroke
Developed and used by military forces like the U.S. Navy SEALs, the combat side stroke is a streamlined version of the traditional sidestroke, adapted for stealth, endurance, and efficiency.
- Body position: The swimmer remains low and streamlined, minimizing splashes and visibility.
- Arm and leg movement: It combines a pull, breath, kick, and glide sequence. One arm performs a front crawl–like movement while the other stays at the side.
- Breathing: Like the sidestroke, breathing is natural and unhurried, ideal for long swims.
Trudgen Stroke
Named after English swimmer John Trudgen, this stroke was the precursor to the front crawl.
- Arm motion: Alternating overhead arm pulls, much like freestyle.
- Kick: Often paired with a scissor kick instead of the modern flutter.
- Purpose: It was once considered revolutionary for its speed before being replaced by the modern crawl in competition.
Kickboard: Isolate lower-body work
Pull buoy: Focus on arm strength and breathing
Fins: Build speed and develop ankle flexibility
Paddles: Improve hand technique and power
All 8 Strokes Compared
Though a swimming instructor or tutor will likely guide you on which strokes you'll learn, here are all the strokes compared so you have a better idea of what to expect.
| Stroke | Speed | Difficulty | Breathing Ease | Energy Use | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freestyle (Front Crawl) | ★★★★★ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | Racing, fitness, endurance |
| Backstroke | ★★★★☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | Relaxed swimming, balance |
| Breaststroke | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | Beginners, recovery, control |
| Butterfly | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★★ | Strength training, advanced |
| Sidestroke | ★★☆☆☆ | ★☆☆☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★☆☆☆ | Rescue swimming, energy saving |
| Elementary Backstroke | ★★☆☆☆ | ★☆☆☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★☆☆☆☆ | Children, confidence building |
| Combat Side Stroke | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | Military training, stealth |
| Trudgen Stroke | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | Historic technique, hybrid style |
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