What makes a great swim stroke?

As a previous poster indicated, it is YMMV - the stroke components combined that generate the maximum power with the minumum effort for the required amount of time.

It is the integration of all the myriad of components into a single unified effort that is maximized for that single individual. Remember YMMV seriously applies here.

Yes :laugh2:

Minimize frontal resistance(streamline)maximize propulsive surfaces(EVF,other good technique.)

Is it the kick? I know that some say it is the most important. Is it the above water high elbow? Is it the entry of the hand ? Is it breathing on the left, breathing on the right, or bilateral breathing? Is it the catch phase? Is it where you finish? Is it how we streamline? Or is it a combinatiom of many things that we have to put in proper sequence. Please add anything you think can help somone swim better. To me it is a swim(mer) which/whom I will watch over and over even though I know the result of the race (if it's a race). It's style; it's the swim that looks almost effortless. I try to put swims that are aired on Videotape and there are many a race that I will watch at least nine times: The first, it's the whole race, then I might replay it eight times, each time concentrating on one lane, one swimmer. I'd rather watch Ian Thorpe lose a race than Eamon Sullivan or Stefan Nystrand win one, even breaking a World Record. And you can't teach that.

YMMV now guys are we saying : it’s quality you want, not necessarily quantity.