The front crawl or forward crawl, also known as the Australian crawl or American crawl, is a swimming stroke usually regarded as the fastest of the four front primary strokes. As such, the front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle swimming competition, and hence freestyle is used metonymically for the front crawl.

To do the front crawl arm stroke your thumb should always enter the water first with your hand at a 45 degree angle. Your arm will twist as you pull your hand back through the water, creating a paddle underwater. You'll pull the water back all the way to your hip before the arm exits the water.