What this swimming skill is
A medley is one swim using all four strokes in turn: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, then freestyle, which here means front crawl. At each change, your child finishes one stroke at the wall and leaves ready for the next. There are three changes to learn, each with its own section below.
This is one of the last skills at the wall, because it draws on nearly all the others. Your child needs all four strokes and their turns first. From here, the focus moves to keeping good form over longer swims.
Why it matters
All four strokes in one swim.
The medley shows everything your child has learned. It is a real milestone.
Ready for meets.
Medley races are common at swim meets. If your child swims in meets, we teach the version their meets use.
Variety keeps it fun.
Switching strokes keeps swimming interesting and works the whole body.
Sharper at every wall.
Each change practises a finish and a push-off, so every wall skill gets better.
Who it is for
This is for children, teens and adults who swim all four strokes and their turns. It is most common for children on a swim team, who race the medley at meets. If you are learning as an adult and swim all four strokes, perhaps on an adult team, you learn it the same way. It is one of the last skills in this area.
Part 1 of 3
Butterfly to backstroke
The goal
Your child finishes the butterfly part with both hands on the wall, then leans back and pushes off on their back. The change looks quick and tidy.
Why it matters
It is the first change in a medley, so a smooth one sets the tone for the whole swim.
What happens in lessons
The two-hand finish.
Your child swims butterfly into the wall and touches with both hands together, just like their butterfly turn.
Leaning back.
From the wall, your child leans back and puts their feet on the wall, ready to push off face up.
Pushing off on the back.
Your child pushes off on their back and starts backstroke.
Joining it up.
Your child swims a short butterfly, changes at the wall and swims on in backstroke.
How you can help between lessons
- On land, stand facing a wall, touch it with both hands, then step back and stretch both arms overhead.
Common questions
- What is the order of strokes in a medley?
- For one swimmer, it is butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, then freestyle. Relay teams swim a different order, starting with backstroke.
- What does freestyle mean in a medley?
- In practice, it means front crawl. If your child swims in meets, we teach the version their meets use.
- Which change is hardest?
- It depends on the child. Many find backstroke to breaststroke the trickiest, because they finish on the back and leave on the front. Your instructor spends extra time on whichever one your child finds hard.
- Does my child need to race to learn this?
- No. Some children enjoy it as a challenge or a way to mix up their swimming. But it is mostly for those heading to meets.
