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Who has the best butterfly stroke?

Author

James Craig

Published Jan 23, 2026

From his flawless technique to his incredible speed, most swimmers agree that Michael Phelps is the king of butterfly. He makes the most challenging stroke look easy, bringing home 7 medals in the 100 and 200 butterfly events throughout his career.

What is the most effective part of the butterfly stroke?

Butterfly Timing

Timing is the most important part of the stroke.

Why butterfly is the best stroke?

Speed and ergonomics. The peak speed of the butterfly is faster than that of the front crawl due to the synchronous pull/push with both arms and legs, which is done quickly. Yet since speed drops significantly during the recovery phase, it is overall slightly slower than front crawl, especially over longer distances.

Is butterfly the hardest stroke?

Learn how to properly swim what may be the most difficult stroke. For many swimmers, butterfly is the hardest stroke to perform, as it requires more muscles firing at any one time. This means swimmers must be very strong in multiple areas of their body to perform an efficient and smooth butterfly.

Is butterfly stroke faster than freestyle?

Contrary to popular belief, the peak speed reached in butterfly is actually faster than freestyle. The double arm pulling action has great propulsive potential, and when combined with the downbeat of the kick, is faster than the single-arm pull in freestyle.

36 related questions found

Which swimming stroke uses the least energy?

1st place: Butterfly

  • Average calorie burn: around 450 calories for 30 minutes swimming.
  • It's most effective all round stroke for toning and building muscles.
  • It helps with upper body strength, toning your chest, stomach, arms (particularly your triceps) and your back muscles.

Which stroke is fastest in swimming?

Front Crawl/Freestyle

It is one of the first strokes learnt by young swimmers. Front Crawl is also known as freestyle, as it is the most used stroke in freestyle events. This is because it is the fastest and most efficient of all the strokes.

Why does Michael Phelps breathe every stroke?

The position of the hips being higher than the head is a necessary artifact of the butterfly stroke. They have to be high so they can counterbalance the raising of the shoulders and head to breathe, which Michael Phelps does every stroke.

What is the hardest swimming stroke?

To anyone who's not a professional swimmer, the butterfly is intimidating. It's easily the hardest stroke to learn, and it requires some serious strength before you can start to match the speeds of the other strokes.

How do I get better butterfly stroke?

Five Ways to Improve Your Butterfly

  1. Tip 1: Catch Your Breath in the Right Spot. Breathe when your arms pull under your torso. ...
  2. Tip 2: Use Your Hips! ...
  3. Tip 3: Minimize Your Up-and-Down Motion. ...
  4. Tip 4: Press Your Chest. ...
  5. Tip 5: Time Your Kicks.

How many kicks are done on a butterfly stroke cycle?

As I mentioned, above in Butterfly there are two kicks per stroke (cycle). There is one kick on hand entry and one at the end of your “power phase”, when your hands finish their push through the water.

What is Michael Phelps best stroke?

Michael Phelps's signature stroke is butterfly. In order to defeat Lochte, Phelps will need his fly to propel him to a big lead in the 400-meter individual medley. Butterfly is the first leg of the race, followed by backstroke—Lochte's best stroke. Phelps holds world records in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly.

Did Caeleb Dressel break Phelps record?

Dressel now owns the five fastest times in the event. That's no small feat given that the record he broke in 2019 belonged to Phelps, who was the first to break the 50-second barrier at the world championships in 2009, which Phelps swam in a type of fast suit that is no longer allowed in competition.

Did Caleb beat Michael Phelps record?

The Florida native bagged an eight-medal haul (including six golds and two silvers) to beat Phelps' previous world champs record of seven. He also broke a 10-year-old 100m butterfly world record, which was previously held by none other than Phelps.

What is Michael Phelps fastest time?

Michael Phelps – 400 I.M. (2008) – 4:03.84

When Phelps touched the wall in 4:03.84, it was clear a special week awaited. Thirteen years later, Phelps' record has not been sniffed, the closest challenge the 4:05.18 from Ryan Lochte at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Should you breathe on both sides when swimming?

Breathing on both sides of your body while you are swimming creates smooth, even strokes. You get a better balance in the water by alternating your breathing and you develop uniform muscles. Breathing to both sides of your body becomes even more important when you move from the pool to the open water.

What swim stroke uses the most muscles?

Front crawl: Swimming uses all major muscle groups and boosts cardio fitness and endurance. Despite being the fastest, most continuous stroke, crawl is more economical in energy expenditure than breaststroke.

Is butterfly better than breaststroke?

The butterfly style is second only to the freestyle stroke in terms of speed. The breaststroke, however, is the slowest of all swimming styles. While actual figures haven't been taken, the butterfly stroke's peak speed often surpasses that of the freestyle stroke.

Which swim stroke is the best workout?

Benefits of Butterfly Stroke

The butterfly burns the most calories of any swimming stroke, approximately 450 calories for every 30 minutes of swimming. This stroke is an excellent option for combining core and upper body training.

Which stroke burns the most calories?

“The butterfly stroke is the most demanding, working the entire body and will burn the most calories,” says Hickey. “The breaststroke would come in second, and the backstroke third.” Mixing up the intensity of your workout also has great results, notes Rizzo.

What is the slowest competitive swimming stroke?

Breaststroke. The front crawl is popular because it's fast, but the breaststroke is the most popular swimming stroke of all. It is, however, the slowest competitive swimming stroke. That said, the breaststroke is great for beginners because it's easy to learn and keeps your head out of the water.

Can you swim butterfly in a freestyle event?

FREESTYLE: The swimmer may swim any style, except that in individual medley or medley relay events, freestyle means any style other than backstroke, breaststroke or butterfly.