Front crawl, backstroke, and breaststroke are the most popular different forms of swimming styles. Each style has varying propulsion and effectiveness in using the upper and lower body. For example, the breaststroke provides equal energy between the upper and lower extremities, making this one of the most popular swimming styles. In all other strokes, the effectiveness of the leg action is less important than the arm action.
The front crawl is the fastest swimming style, followed by the butterfly, the backstroke or back crawl, and finally, the breaststroke. However, the latest advances in technique indicate that the times recorded in the butterfly are getting closer and closer to the crawl’s speed.