Freestyle
Freestyle is the fastest swimming stroke, swum face-down with an alternating arm pull and flutter kick — the stroke most people picture when they think of swimming.
Overview
Freestyle events allow any stroke, but swimmers universally choose front crawl because it is the fastest: the body stays long and flat at the surface while the arms take turns pulling underwater and recovering over the top, and the legs drive a steady flutter kick.
Because it is efficient and continuous, freestyle is the stroke most beginners learn first and the one used for the widest range of race distances, from short sprints to long-distance events.
What defines it
- Swum face-down with an alternating (windmill) arm action.
- Powered by a continuous flutter kick from the hips.
- Breathing is to the side, timed with the arm recovery.
- The fastest of the competitive strokes.
Getting started
- 1Practise a relaxed face-in-water glide to get comfortable being horizontal.
- 2Build a steady flutter kick holding a kickboard.
- 3Add side breathing gradually so it fits the arm rhythm rather than interrupting it.
Other Swimming disciplines
The forms of Swimming sit alongside each other — explore the rest.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Freestyle to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Sports
- SwimmingA full-body, low-impact endurance sport suitable for almost every age and ability.
- Water PoloA demanding team sport played in deep water, blending swimming endurance with tactics.
- RunningThe most accessible endurance sport — no venue, just shoes and the open road or trail.
- FootballThe world’s most popular team sport — endless running, teamwork and community in one game.
- CalisthenicsBodyweight strength training — push-ups, pull-ups, dips and progressions you can do almost anywhere.
Rules
- False startA rule breach in a race when a competitor begins to move before the starting signal is given.
- Swimming stroke rulesThe technical rules that define how each competitive swimming stroke must be performed and how walls are touched.
- Handball offenceA foul in football committed when an outfield player deliberately handles or controls the ball with the hand or arm.
- Penalty kick awardA one-on-one kick against the goalkeeper awarded when a defending player commits a direct-free-kick foul inside their own penalty area.
- Out of boundsThe rule that a ball or player leaving the marked playing area is out of play and possession is decided at the boundary.
Techniques
- Freestyle StrokeThe fastest swimming stroke, using alternating overhead arm pulls, a flutter kick and rhythmic side breathing.
- Flip TurnA fast turn in freestyle where the swimmer somersaults at the wall, pushes off on their back and rotates to continue swimming.
- BackstrokeThe only competitive stroke swum on the back, using alternating overhead arm pulls and a steady flutter kick.
- BreaststrokeA swimming stroke with a simultaneous arm sweep, a whip-like frog kick and a glide, performed on the front.