The freestyle stroke is swum in a horizontal position with the body facing down. The body rolls from one side to the other, always turning to the side of the arm that is currently pulling in the water. The head remains in a neutral position, face down, except when breathing.

The freestyle stroke is the fastest and most efficient competitive stroke. Also known as front crawl, freestyle is used as the main fitness development stroke in most swimming training programmes. It is also the preferred stroke of most competitive triathletes and open-water swimmers.

The freestyle stroke, also known as front crawl, is the fastest and most efficient of the swimming strokes used in competition. Swimming is a unique activity because it requires primarily the upper body for the propulsive force, with 90% of the driving force provided primarily by the torque generated from the shoulder.

However, after what was referred to as the front crawl became the dominant way to freestyle, the term freestyle has replaced the term front crawl as the name for the stroke. Freestyle involves alternating arms that make windmill arc motions forward while the head is underwater, and the swimmer breathes at the side.

The term 'freestyle stroke' is sometimes used as a synonym for ' front crawl ', as front crawl is the fastest surface swimming stroke. It is now the most common stroke used in freestyle competitions.