If you searched for the kinds of swimming strokes, you want a clear answer to a simple question: what are the different ways of moving through water, how does each one work, and which should you learn first? This guide explains the four competitive strokes, freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, along with the recreational strokes that beginners and leisure swimmers use most, and it compares them for speed, effort, breathing and difficulty. It is general sports education only: if you are learning to swim, practise with a qualified instructor and never swim alone.
Swimming is unusual among sports because the same body must solve the same problem, moving forward through a dense medium, in several completely different ways. Each stroke is a different solution to that problem, with its own trade-offs. Freestyle is the fastest and most efficient for most people, backstroke lets you breathe freely but removes your view of where you are going, breaststroke is slower but restful and easy to sustain, and butterfly is powerful and spectacular but exhausting. Understanding those trade-offs is the key to choosing a stroke, and to appreciating competitive swimming when you watch it.
- Kinds of Swimming Strokes: The Four Competitive Strokes
- Freestyle: The Front Crawl
- Backstroke
- Breaststroke
- Butterfly
- Other Kinds of Swimming Strokes to Know
- Which Stroke Should Beginners Learn First?
- Kinds of Swimming Strokes and Fitness Benefits
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Kinds of Swimming Strokes: The Four Competitive Strokes
Competitive swimming recognises four strokes, and each has its own events, rules and techniques. Freestyle, technically the front crawl in almost all races, is swum face down with alternating arm strokes and a flutter kick. Backstroke is the only stroke swum on the back, with alternating arms and a flutter kick. Breaststroke is swum face down with simultaneous, symmetrical arm and leg movements, including the distinctive frog kick. Butterfly is also swum face down with simultaneous arms, but pairs them with a dolphin kick, in which both legs move together in a wave-like motion. Medley events combine all four, in the order butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle for individual medley races, which tests versatility rather than specialisation.
The rules for each stroke matter because they define what counts as legal technique in competition. Breaststroke and butterfly require symmetrical movements: both arms must move together, and both legs must move together, while freestyle and backstroke allow alternating movements. Turns and finishes also differ, with backstroke and freestyle allowing tumble turns and two-handed touches required for breaststroke and butterfly finishes. Recreational swimmers do not need to memorise these rules, but knowing that they exist helps explain why competitive swimmers practise technique so precisely: a small illegal movement can disqualify an otherwise excellent race. Knowing those rules helps anyone studying the kinds of swimming strokes understand why technique is judged so strictly.
Freestyle: The Front Crawl
Freestyle, almost always swum as the front crawl, is the fastest of the kinds of swimming strokes and the one most adults learn first after gaining water confidence. The swimmer lies face down, arms alternate in a windmill motion, pulling water backwards beneath the body, while the legs perform a flutter kick, beating up and down from the hips with relatively straight knees. Breathing happens by turning the head to one side during an arm recovery, exhaling under water and inhaling quickly in the brief window when the mouth clears the surface. Good freestyle looks effortless because the body stays long and horizontal, rotating slightly from side to side with each stroke, which lets the shoulders drive the arms without wasted motion.
Beginners often struggle with two things in freestyle: breathing rhythm and leg position. Lifting the head to breathe, rather than turning it to the side, drops the hips and creates drag, which makes the whole stroke feel harder. Similarly, kicking from the knees rather than the hips produces splash without propulsion. Both problems improve with drills, such as practising the arm action with a float, or swimming short lengths while concentrating only on exhaling steadily under water. Patience matters: freestyle rewards relaxed, rhythmic swimming far more than frantic effort. Among the kinds of swimming strokes, freestyle rewards patience more than any other.
Backstroke
Backstroke is the most relaxing of the competitive strokes for many swimmers, because the face stays out of the water and breathing is unrestricted. The swimmer lies on the back, arms alternate in a windmill motion, entering the water above the head and pulling through beside the body, while the legs perform a flutter kick. Body position is everything: the head should rest back in the water with the ears submerged, the hips should sit high, and the body should rotate gently with each arm stroke, just as in freestyle. Because swimmers cannot see where they are going, lane ropes, ceiling markers and a quick glance at the wall before turning become important navigational aids.
Backstroke suits swimmers who find face-down breathing stressful, and it is often recommended for people building fitness after time away from exercise, because it allows steady, comfortable breathing throughout. Its main drawback is navigation, especially in open water, where there are no lane ropes or ceiling lines to follow. For that reason, open-water swimmers usually favour freestyle, even if backstroke feels easier in a pool. In a pool, however, backstroke is an excellent recovery stroke between harder efforts, and a fine main stroke in its own right. Of all the kinds of swimming strokes, backstroke is the easiest on breathing.
Breaststroke
Breaststroke is the slowest competitive stroke, but it is also the most sociable and the easiest to sustain over long distances at a gentle pace. Both arms move together in a sweeping, heart-shaped pull, while both legs perform a frog kick: knees bend outward, feet flex and sweep around, then snap together. The head rises naturally during each arm pull, which makes breathing straightforward, and many leisure swimmers keep their heads above water throughout, chatting as they go. Competitive breaststroke is a different matter, with the head dipping under water on each stroke and timing between pull, breath, kick and glide refined to fractions of a second.
The glide is the secret of good breaststroke. After each kick, the body should stretch into a streamlined position and glide briefly before the next pull begins. Swimmers who rush the glide, starting the next pull before the kick has finished its work, lose the stroke’s natural rhythm and tire quickly. When the timing is right, breaststroke feels unhurried and economical, which is why it is the stroke most often used for relaxed, long swims and for swimmers who want to look around as they go. That unhurried rhythm is why many leisure swimmers choose breaststroke above other kinds of swimming strokes. It is also the stroke most commonly taught to children after basic water confidence, because its breathing pattern feels intuitive.
Butterfly
Butterfly is the most demanding of the kinds of swimming strokes, and the most spectacular to watch. Both arms recover over the water together, pulling simultaneously beneath the body, while the legs perform a dolphin kick, an undulating motion driven from the hips and core that sends a wave down through the body to the feet. Breathing happens during the arm recovery, as the head and shoulders lift clear of the water, and the stroke is usually swum with two kicks per arm cycle: one as the hands enter the water, one as they finish the pull. Done well, butterfly looks like flying; done poorly, it feels like wrestling the water.
Butterfly demands strength, flexibility and timing, and it is rarely the first stroke a beginner learns. Its value lies in the fitness it builds: few exercises work the shoulders, chest, core and legs together as completely as a length of butterfly. Competitive butterfly swimmers train for years to sustain it over race distances, and recreational swimmers often use short bursts of butterfly, even a single length, as a high-intensity interval within a longer session. If you want to try it, learn the dolphin kick first, with fins if your pool allows them, and add the arm action only once the kick feels natural. Even a single length of butterfly shows why it stands apart from other kinds of swimming strokes.
| Stroke | Body position | Arm action | Kick | Breathing | Relative difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freestyle (front crawl) | Face down | Alternating | Flutter kick | Turn head to the side | Moderate |
| Backstroke | On the back | Alternating | Flutter kick | Face clear throughout | Moderate |
| Breaststroke | Face down | Simultaneous | Frog kick | Lift head during pull | Easier to sustain |
| Butterfly | Face down | Simultaneous | Dolphin kick | Lift head during recovery | Most demanding |
| Sidestroke | On the side | Alternating lead arm | Scissor kick | Face clear throughout | Easy and restful |
Other Kinds of Swimming Strokes to Know
Beyond the four competitive strokes, several recreational strokes deserve a place in any guide to the kinds of swimming strokes. Sidestroke, swum lying on one side with a scissor kick, is a classic lifesaving stroke, because it leaves one arm free and allows long, restful swims while keeping the face clear of the water. Elementary backstroke, a gentle, symmetrical stroke swum on the back with a frog-like kick, is widely taught to beginners because it is easy to learn and very relaxing. The dog paddle, with the head above water and short, paddling arm movements, is often a child’s first unaided stroke, and while it is inefficient, it builds the confidence that leads to formal strokes.
There are also strokes associated with particular traditions and purposes. Trudgen, an early predecessor of freestyle that combined an overarm action with a scissor kick, is mainly of historical interest now, but it shows how freestyle evolved. Combat sidestroke, used in military training, is a streamlined variant of sidestroke designed for efficiency over distance. History, in short, keeps adding to the list of kinds of swimming strokes. None of these is required knowledge for a leisure swimmer, but knowing they exist helps explain why swimming instruction sometimes uses different names for similar movements, and why older swimmers may describe strokes you have never heard of. Those additions round out a full picture of the kinds of swimming strokes beyond competition.
Which Stroke Should Beginners Learn First?
Most instructors begin with water confidence, floating and basic propulsion, before teaching a formal stroke, and the first formal stroke is usually breaststroke or freestyle, depending on the swimmer. Breaststroke suits nervous beginners because the head stays up and breathing feels natural. Freestyle suits confident beginners who are comfortable putting their faces in the water, because it builds the fitness and technique that transfer most easily to other strokes. Backstroke is a good second stroke for either group, because it reinforces body position and flutter kick while allowing easy breathing, and it gives tired swimmers a recovery option during longer sessions.
Whatever order you learn in, the same principles apply. Short, frequent sessions beat occasional long ones, because technique is learned through repetition. Drills that isolate one element, such as kicking with a board or practising arm action while standing in shallow water, are more useful than simply swimming length after length with poor form. And progress is rarely linear: a stroke that feels awkward for weeks can suddenly click when one small adjustment, a higher elbow, a steadier kick, or a calmer breath, falls into place. A good instructor spots those adjustments far faster than self-teaching, which is why lessons are worth the investment at every level. The right first choice among the kinds of swimming strokes is simply the one you enjoy enough to repeat.
Kinds of Swimming Strokes and Fitness Benefits
All swimming is excellent low-impact exercise, because water supports the body’s weight while still resisting movement, but the kinds of swimming strokes differ in what they emphasise. Freestyle and butterfly build upper-body and core strength most directly, backstroke develops shoulder flexibility and posture, and breaststroke works the inner thighs, hips and groin through the frog kick, alongside the chest and arms. A session that mixes strokes therefore works the body more evenly than a session spent on a single stroke, and it also reduces the risk of overuse strain from repeating one movement pattern.
For fitness swimmers, variety also prevents boredom, which is the most common reason exercise programmes fail. Alternating lengths of freestyle and breaststroke, adding backstroke as active recovery, and finishing with a short burst of butterfly or sidestroke turns a repetitive session into a structured workout. Swimmers tracking their sessions often find that stroke variety improves their overall pace, because each stroke teaches something the others do not: freestyle teaches rhythm, backstroke teaches body position, breaststroke teaches timing, and butterfly teaches power. Mixing the kinds of swimming strokes is therefore the simplest way to train the whole body. Guidance on preparing for a session, including choosing suitable kit, can be found in the swimsuit size guide, while the sports channel guide is a useful companion for viewers who enjoy watching competitive swimming on television.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the kinds of swimming strokes are answered below.
How many kinds of swimming strokes are there?
Competitive swimming recognises four strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. Recreational swimming adds others, including sidestroke, elementary backstroke and the dog paddle.
What is the easiest swimming stroke to learn?
For most beginners, breaststroke or elementary backstroke feels easiest, because breathing is straightforward and the movements are unhurried. Freestyle is also a common first stroke for confident beginners.
What is the fastest swimming stroke?
Freestyle, swum as the front crawl, is the fastest stroke, which is why it is the stroke used in freestyle races and the final leg of medley events.
Which stroke burns the most energy?
Butterfly demands the most energy, because both arms and both legs work simultaneously against the water’s resistance, making it an intense full-body effort.
Can I learn to swim as an adult?
Yes. Adult beginners are common in learn-to-swim programmes, and instructors routinely teach adults from first water confidence through to formal strokes, at whatever pace suits the individual.
Conclusion
The kinds of swimming strokes offer something for every swimmer: the speed of freestyle, the relaxation of backstroke, the sociable rhythm of breaststroke, the power of butterfly, and the restful simplicity of sidestroke and elementary backstroke. Learning more than one stroke is worth the effort, because each one teaches a skill the others do not, and variety keeps both body and motivation in better shape. Start with the stroke that feels most comfortable, practise little and often, learn with a qualified instructor, and never swim alone. With those habits in place, the water becomes not a challenge to survive, but a place to enjoy moving well.
