In the basic freestyle swimming pattern, how long is each arm out of the water?

• A. Half of the stroke
• B. One quarter of the stroke
• C. The entire stroke
• D. Not out of water

Answer: (A)

In freestyle the arm goes through two main phases: propulsion underwater and recovery above water. After the push, the arm exits the water and travels through the air to come back over the shoulder for the next entry. That recovery phase takes roughly half of the stroke cycle, so each arm is out of the water for about half the stroke. The other half is spent pulling underwater to propel the swimmer. So the best answer is that the arm is out of the water for about half of the stroke. The entire stroke wouldn’t be spent out of water because propulsion happens below, not above, the surface; not out of the water would prevent the recovery and re-entry needed for the next stroke; and only a quarter of the stroke wouldn’t allow enough time for breathing and proper recovery.