After polling many good distance swimmers, most triathletes and distance swimmers breathe every two strokes. So they pick the side they like and breathe to that side every other stroke. For me that would be breathing to my left every time my right arm enters the water. I’m usually 3 seconds faster per 100 yards breathing left than right.
Many up and coming swimmers think that three stroke (or more) swimming as better swimming. The thinking is it must better because a person is breathing to both sides. Three strokes or more must be a sign of a fitter swimmer who can go longer in between breaths.
It is the case that good swimmers can breath to both sides rather easily. Just because a person is faster on one side doesn’t mean that they are uncomfortable breathing to the other side. The comfort can feel the same or even better on the slower side. And, the “slower side” may only be the slower side 75-80% of the time. Therefore the good swimmers breath to the left for awhile and then breathe to the right for awhile with a 2 stroke pattern. If you can breathe to both sides easily in this way, consider yourself a bilateral swimmer.
It is not the case that fitter swimmers prefer 3,5 or 7 strokes per breath. Swimmers who are not comfortable rolling up for air prefer breathing less often. They think that “fitness” will eventually make up for the their lack of ability to get a breath comfortably. That is not the case. As they want to go faster longer, most swimmers do 2 stroke swimming, even Olympic champions.
My advice and most people agree that the best results are achieved with 2 stroke swimming to both sides and 3 stroke swimming to change sides.
