Is it the equivalent of single speeding? Who swims like that? Was someone drowning and they said oh that’ll do? And why no doggy paddle.
I’m not expecting a Dido’esque response btw.

Developed as being a faster version of breast stroke.

It probably is a “singlespeed” equivalent as it does require superior strength and technique compared to other strokes. It is why most casual swimmers never really get to grips with it. 😆

I used to race it back when I wasa teenager. 50m fly and the 100/200 IM.

Developed as being a faster version of breast stroke.

It probably is a “singlespeed” equivalent as it does require superior strength and technique compared to other strokes. It is why most casual swimmers never really get to grips with it. 😆

I used to race it back when I was a teenager. 50m fly and the 100/200 IM.

My daughter swims at an elite level. According to her, if it’s done properly it is a very efficient sprint stroke.

But presumably not as fast or as efficient as the crawl?

It was developed in the 30’s as a way of improving the speed in the Breast stoke event.

Became its own discipline later, because it was faster than breast stoke, everyone was doing it.

Sort of related, but has anyone in a race dived in, and (by mistake) swam off with the wrong stroke?

Sort of related, but has anyone in a race dived in, and (by mistake) swam off with the wrong stroke?

No idea on the answer, but freestyle races are just that Free Style, you can do any recognised stroke, doesn’t have to be crawl.

Anyone who swims 200m butterfly must surely be mad.

But presumably not as fast or as efficient as the crawl?

no but i’ve seen plenty of people who look like they’re drowning swimming the crawl, flailing arms and legs going nowhere 🙂

When learning to swim in NZ both my kids were taught that body wave thing that the butterfly involves right from the moment they got in the water.

Also, ‘Freestyle’ is what I always new as/was taught as ‘front crawl’ and not as far as I’m aware a ‘choice’. Unless it’s the fastest & most efficient and therefore became everyones’ ‘choice’ and has retained it’s name since as no one racing against it would be sensible choosing a different stroke?

Of course at elite level everyone swims crawl as it’s the faster stroke but it’s not compulsory. Many people use freestyle to mean front crawl but in competitive swimming a freestyle race can be swum in any stroke.

The world records suggest crawl is 5-10% faster than butterfly, which would be huge in an elite competition.

I’ve seen plenty of triathlon age groupers doing breaststroke, none doing butterfly though.

Matt