Sports

Types of Swimming Stroke & Style

Name: Types of Swimming Stroke & Style
Creator: Community curated
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Freestyle, butterfly, backstroke — which swimming stroke is the most elegant in the water?

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Source:Community curated

Updated:3/7/2026

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15/15

Stroke↕	Speed Rank↕	Olympic Distances↕	Difficulty↕	Known For↕
Freestyle (Front Crawl)	#1 (fastest)	50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m	Intermediate	Fastest stroke, alternating arm windmill, flutter kick, face-down breathing rhythm, Phelps and Thorpe
Butterfly	#2	100m, 200m	Very hard	Dolphin kick + simultaneous arm recovery, most exhausting stroke, beautiful but brutal, Phelps's specialty
Backstroke	#3	100m, 200m	Intermediate	Only stroke swum on your back, start in the water, can breathe freely, Ryan Lochte's forte
Breaststroke	#4 (slowest competition stroke)	100m, 200m	Easy to learn, hard to master	Frog kick, oldest competitive stroke, Adam Peaty dominance, pull-breathe-kick-glide rhythm
Individual Medley (IM)	Varies (all 4 strokes)	200m, 400m	Expert	Butterfly → backstroke → breaststroke → freestyle, tests all skills, Michael Phelps's 400m IM dominance
Sidestroke	Slow	Not Olympic	Easy	Lifeguard rescue stroke, one arm pulls while towing victim, scissor kick, energy-efficient
Doggy Paddle	Very slow	Not competitive	Easiest	Everyone's first swimming motion, head above water, instinctive, dogs do it naturally, childhood memories
Elementary Backstroke	Slow	Not competitive	Easy	Relaxation stroke, 'chicken-airplane-soldier' arm pattern, floating while kicking, learn-to-swim staple
Trudgen (Trudgeon)	Moderate	Historical (1800s)	Intermediate	Precursor to modern crawl, John Trudgen learned from South Americans, sidestroke + overarm combo
Combat Side Stroke	Moderate	Not competitive (military)	Advanced	US Navy SEALs swim test stroke, low profile in water, efficient long-distance military swimming
Open Water / Marathon Swimming	Varies	10km	Extreme endurance	English Channel crossing, no walls to push off, jellyfish, currents, 25+ miles, grease for warmth
Synchronized Swimming Strokes	N/A (artistic)	Artistic swimming	Expert+	Eggbeater kick, sculling, underwater acrobatics, nose clips, sequined suits, invisible effort
Underwater Swimming (Dolphin Kick)	Very fast (underwater)	Used off walls/starts	Advanced	'The 5th stroke', undulation like a dolphin, used off every wall, Misty Hyman's 2000 Olympic gold
Survival Float / Dead Man's Float	Stationary	Not competitive	Easy	Face-down floating to conserve energy, taught in water safety, minimal effort to stay alive in water
Fin Swimming	Fastest (with equipment)	Not Olympic (CMAS events)	Intermediate	Monofin or bi-fins, speeds up to 13 km/h, looks like a mermaid, World Games sport