Side Stroke Swimming: Tips and Technique

Most swimmers overlook the side stroke. It’s not part of competitive events. You won’t see it featured in Olympic highlight reels. But that doesn’t mean it’s not valuable.

In fact, sidestroke swimming is one of the most functional strokes you can learn. It’s efficient, easy to breathe from, and builds rotational control that directly benefits your freestyle and backstroke. It’s also a recovery-friendly option for those dealing with shoulder fatigue or looking to build water confidence.

I’ve used the side stroke with the military, swimming enthusiasts for fitness, triathletes training for open water, and even advanced masters swimmers looking to refine their body awareness. When performed correctly, it’s smooth, quiet, and powerful in its simplicity.

Why the Side Stroke Still Matters

At its core, the side stroke is about efficiency — not speed. It allows you to breathe comfortably, conserve energy, and move through the water with a streamlined body position. That makes it incredibly useful in open water swimming, lifeguard training, long-distance recovery, and skill development.

If you’ve ever asked, “What is side stroke in swimming?” — the answer is simple: it’s a stroke performed on your side, using a scissor kick and asymmetrical arm movement. Your head stays either out of the water or rotates for breathing, and your goal is steady, controlled forward motion with minimal drag.

It’s not glamorous, but it’s effective. And learning it can give you new tools in the water — especially when conditions get rough or fatigue sets in.

Body Position: Long, Relaxed, and Aligned

In sidestroke swimming, your body lies slightly rotated — about 30 to 40 degrees off flat. Your top shoulder and hip should just break the surface. Your lead arm reaches forward, fingers soft, while your trailing arm stays relaxed against your side.

The head stays neutral — neither lifted nor forced down. Think of looking slightly forward or down, depending on water conditions.

To help swimmers develop this posture, I often use a drill called Side Kick with Fins.

 One arm forward, the other by your side. Body pitched at a slight angle. Constant kick. This drill builds balance and lets you explore streamline while learning when to breathe. A snorkel is optional — and useful.

This drill also reinforces something most swimmers miss: control through the core, not just the limbs. And that leads into an essential component of sidestroke...

Sidestroke Kick: The Scissor Kick

Unlike freestyle or backstroke, sidestroke uses a scissor kick. You separate the legs — one moves forward, the other back — then snap them closed to generate propulsion.

It’s not a kick you rush. Instead, think of it as reset, load, snap, glide. The timing is everything.

A mistake I often see: swimmers opening their legs too wide, which causes drag and throws off the body line. Swimmers often use more of a breaststroke kick, which creates more drag. 

Breathing: Controlled, Not Forced

One of the biggest advantages of sidestroke is the breathing flexibility. You’re not locked into a rhythm like in freestyle. In the traditional version, your head stays above water. In a modern variation, I teach swimmers to roll slightly to inhale, then return to streamline, head down.

It mirrors the timing of a controlled breath in freestyle, but without the urgency, more like breaststroke swimming. 

A great way to develop this skill is with the Freestyle Side Front Side Kick Drill.

Drill: Freestyle – Side Front Side Kick Drill

While not technically sidestroke, this drill helps you maintain a neutral head position and smooth body line. Kick six times on your side, roll to your front, then switch sides. Eyes on the bottom. Neck relaxed. Use the pool wall as a visual anchor.

It teaches you to stay calm, aligned, and in control — all of which support better sidestroke breathing mechanics.

Drill - Long Dog Freestyle 

Another great drill for sidestroke or combat stroke swimmers is underwater recovery freestyle, also known as long dog freestyle. Instead of recovering your arm over the water like in standard freestyle, you slide it forward just beneath the surface, keeping everything long, low, and streamlined. Start by swimming freestyle with a steady kick and recover your hand underwater - close to the body, palm facing down, elbow slightly bent, reaching forward in one smooth motion. This trains you to stay low in the water, reduce your profile, and stay efficient under fatigue - key elements in combat or tactical swimming where splash and energy conservation matter. It also builds shoulder control and reinforces a strong, clean extension without overreaching or crossing the midline. Add fins or a snorkel to focus on form, and think of each stroke as deliberate and stealthy, not rushed.

Drill: Breaststroke Pull, Flutter Kick 

If you’re training for sidestroke or combat swimming, try this drill: breaststroke pull with freestyle kick. It’s designed to reinforce upper body strength and streamline posture while keeping your hips high - crucial for long-distance, gear-heavy swims. Start on your stomach with a steady, flutter freestyle kick behind you. Keep your body flat and head still, then add in a breaststroke-style arm pull: high elbows, wide sweep, and finish close under your chest. After each pull, snap into a tight streamline with arms extended and continue kicking before the next pull. This mimics the arm movement of sidestroke or modified combat strokes, while the flutter kick keeps your propulsion consistent without disrupting your balance. Add fins to build endurance or a snorkel to focus on timing and clean mechanics.

Gear That Helps Sidestroke Training

Here’s what I consistently recommend to swimmers learning or refining sidestroke:

• Fins – Build propulsion and reinforce proper kick timing

• Snorkel – Keeps your head in line, lets you focus on body movement

• Kickboard – To isolate the kick, and improve alignment

Training sidestroke is about removing distractions — and good equipment helps you isolate what matters: posture, rhythm, and control.

Dryland for Better Rotation and Control

Sidestroke isn’t just about kicking and gliding — it’s about how well your body rotates and transfers force. And that starts on land.

If you can’t rotate through your spine and hips — or you lack the shoulder and core stability to hold a position mid-glide — you’ll struggle in the water.

To address this, I’ve built specific dryland sessions focused on improving thoracic mobility, shoulder stability, and rotational strength.

Dryland Video: How to Improve Your Swimming Rotation

This session focuses on two major components:

1. Mobility – Making sure your spine and hips can rotate cleanly without compensation

2. Stability – Holding posture and generating power as you move from hip to hip

These movements translate directly to sidestroke — especially rotational core drills and “side-front-side transitions,” which require you to hold alignment and control rotation.

If you’re serious about getting smoother in the water, you can’t skip the land work.

Final Thoughts

I say this often to my swimmers: just because a stroke isn’t in a race doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. The side stroke is a perfect example of that.

It’s useful, versatile, and deeply technical when you break it down. Whether you’re using it to prepare for a military test, recover during a triathlon swim, training for lifeguard certification, or just looking to improve your body awareness, it belongs in your toolbox.

And when you train sidestroke the right way — with intention, rotation, and rhythm — you don’t just get better at sidestroke. You get better at swimming.

Ready to refine your sidestroke or build a stronger foundation in the water?
Let’s work together. I offer personalized swim coaching tailored to your stroke mechanics, goals, and training phase - whether you're prepping for open water, rebuilding confidence, or chasing new benchmarks.

Schedule your first session today and start building your best stroke. Swim Coaching that Starts with the Fundamentals.