Swimming Strokes Guide: Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly

By Rachel Williams · May 26, 2026

The Four Competitive Swimming Strokes

Competitive swimming recognizes four official strokes: freestyle (front crawl), backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. Each stroke has unique mechanics, rules, and training benefits. Whether you're a beginner looking to learn proper technique or an intermediate swimmer wanting to refine your strokes, understanding the fundamentals of each style is essential for efficient and enjoyable swimming.

This guide covers the technique, common mistakes, and training tips for all four strokes.

1. Freestyle (Front Crawl): The Fastest Stroke

Freestyle is the most commonly used stroke in competitive swimming and the fastest. In freestyle events, swimmers can technically use any stroke, but virtually all choose the front crawl because of its speed and efficiency.

Body Position

Maintain a horizontal, streamlined position with your face in the water. Your body should rotate along the long axis (from head to toes) with each stroke. This rotation reduces drag and allows for a more powerful pull. Keep your hips near the surface — sinking hips create enormous drag.

Arm Action

The freestyle arm action is an alternating windmill pattern:

Catch: As your hand enters the water (fingertips first, about shoulder-width apart), reach forward and "catch" the water with your palm and forearm.
Pull: Pull the water back along your body in an S-shaped or straight-back pattern. Your elbow should stay higher than your hand throughout the pull.
Push: At the end of the pull, push the water past your hip with a strong tricep extension.
Recovery: Lift your arm out of the water, leading with the elbow, and bring it forward for the next entry. Keep the recovery relaxed and low to minimize drag.

Kick

The flutter kick is a continuous, alternating up-and-down motion from the hips. Keep your legs relatively straight (slight knee bend is fine) and your ankles relaxed and pointed. The kick provides about 10-15% of propulsion in freestyle but is crucial for maintaining body position and rhythm. Most distance swimmers use a 2-beat kick (one kick per arm stroke), while sprinters use a 6-beat kick.

Breathing

Turn your head to the side during the arm recovery to breathe. Breathe in through your mouth as your arm passes your hip. Exhale steadily through your nose and mouth while your face is in the water. Most swimmers breathe every 2 or 3 strokes (bilateral breathing). Bilateral breathing (every 3 strokes) promotes symmetry and is recommended for most swimmers.

2. Backstroke: Swimming on Your Back

Backstroke is the only competitive stroke swum on the back. It's essentially an inverted freestyle, with similar mechanics but unique challenges — particularly the inability to see where you're going.

Body Position

Lie on your back with your face out of the water. Keep your head still and look straight up. Your body rotates along the long axis with each stroke, just like freestyle. Your hips should stay high — if they sink, you're creating too much drag.

Arm Action

The backstroke arm action is an alternating windmill with the arms opposite each other:

Entry: Your hand enters the water pinky-finger first, arm straight, directly above your shoulder.
Catch and Pull: As your hand sinks to about 12-18 inches deep, bend your elbow and pull the water toward your feet. The pull follows a slight S-curve.
Exit: Your thumb exits the water first, near your hip. The arm then rotates so the pinky enters first on the next stroke.

Kick

Same flutter kick as freestyle, but on your back. Your toes should break the surface of the water — if your knees are breaking the surface, you're bending them too much. A strong kick is essential in backstroke because it maintains your body position.

Breathing

Since your face is always out of the water, you can breathe freely. However, establishing a rhythm (e.g., inhale during one arm stroke, exhale during the next) prevents hyperventilation and keeps you relaxed.

3. Breaststroke: The Technical Stroke

Breaststroke is the slowest competitive stroke but the most technically demanding. It's also the most popular recreational stroke because it allows you to keep your head above water (though competitive technique requires face-in breathing).

Body Position

Breaststroke has a distinctive undulating motion. You start streamlined (face down, arms extended, legs together), then pull, breathe, kick, and glide in sequence. The glide phase is crucial — it's where you travel the fastest with the least effort.

Arm Action (Pull)

The breaststroke pull is a simultaneous, symmetrical motion:

Outsweep: From the streamlined position, turn your palms outward and sweep your hands apart to slightly wider than shoulder width.
Insweep: Bend your elbows and sweep your hands inward and backward, scooping water toward your chest. This is where you generate propulsion.
Recovery: Bring your hands together under your chin and shoot them forward into the streamlined position. The recovery should be quick to minimize drag.

Important: Your hands must not pull past your hips. The pull is short and compact compared to freestyle.

Kick (Whip Kick)

The breaststroke kick is a simultaneous, symmetrical "whip" motion:

Recovery: Draw your heels up toward your glutes, bending your knees. Keep your knees close together (about hip-width apart).
Catch: Rotate your feet outward (dorsiflexion and eversion), pointing your toes toward the pool walls.
Push: Push the water backward and inward with the soles of your feet in a circular, whipping motion.
Glide: Bring your legs together in a streamlined position and glide for 1-2 seconds.

Breathing

Lift your head to breathe during the insweep phase. Your chin should clear the water naturally as your upper body rises with the pull. Exhale into the water during the glide phase.

4. Butterfly: The Power Stroke

Butterfly is the most physically demanding stroke and the second-fastest after freestyle. It requires significant upper body strength, core power, and coordination.

Body Position

Butterfly uses a dolphin-like undulating motion. Your entire body moves in a wave pattern: chest down, hips up, then chest up, hips down. This undulation drives the entire stroke.

Arm Action

Both arms move simultaneously in a windmill pattern:

Entry: Both hands enter the water simultaneously, shoulder-width apart, thumbs first.
Catch and Pull: Pull the water backward in a keyhole pattern — wide at first, then narrowing as your hands pass under your chest and push past your hips.
Exit: Both hands exit the water simultaneously near your hips.
Recovery: Swing both arms forward over the water in a low, relaxed arc. Keep your arms straight and close to the water surface.

Kick (Dolphin Kick)

The dolphin kick is a simultaneous, undulating kick where both legs move together. There are two kicks per arm cycle:

First kick: Occurs as your hands enter the water. This kick drives your body forward and sets up the pull.
Second kick: Occurs as your hands exit the water. This kick provides propulsion and helps lift your upper body for the recovery.

The kick originates from the core, not the knees. Think of it as a full-body wave that ends with a whip of the feet.

Breathing

Lift your chin forward (not up) to breathe during the arm recovery. Most swimmers breathe every other stroke cycle to maintain rhythm and avoid excessive body lift. Keep the breath quick — your face should be back in the water before your hands re-enter.

Individual Medley (IM): All Four Strokes in One Race

The individual medley combines all four strokes in a specific order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle. The order is designed so that transitions between strokes are smooth (each stroke ends in a position that allows a legal transition to the next). IM events are 200 meters (50 of each stroke) and 400 meters (100 of each).

Which Stroke Should You Learn First?

For beginners, the recommended learning order is:

Freestyle: The foundation of all swimming. Most efficient and versatile.
Backstroke: Builds on freestyle mechanics and teaches body rotation.
Breaststroke: Introduces a different kick and timing pattern. Great for building water confidence.
Butterfly: Save for last. Requires the strength and coordination developed through the other three strokes.

Final Thoughts

Each swimming stroke offers unique benefits and challenges. Freestyle builds endurance, backstroke improves posture, breaststroke develops timing, and butterfly builds power. Learning all four strokes makes you a well-rounded swimmer and opens up more competitive and recreational opportunities. Focus on technique before speed — efficient strokes are fast strokes.