What is Freestyle Swimming, And How Can You Become Better At It?

There are many different swimming strokes, and the one you choose depends upon your preferences and your aims. For instance, if you are entering into a professional swimming competition, the chances are that you will be freestyle swimming.

Freestyle is also known as the front crawl, and it's one of the most commonly used strokes in competitive swimming. It's also a stroke that many people choose to do naturally as it feels easier to them. However, it's used in competitions because it helps you move through the water faster and more effectively. You will see Olympic and competitive swimmers and those competing in triathlons often using freestyle. There are also freestyle races that are dedicated to this stroke.

If you want to add to your swimming journey, you'll want to learn more and more strokes. Freestyle swimming is an excellent option to learn, and it's also ideal for boosting your cardiovascular exercise intake for the week. Check out some YouTube freestyle swimming videos to get an accurate overview of what this stroke looks like, and then head back here to learn some valuable tips to get your technique right.

Freestyle Swimming Techniques

Getting your technique correct is vital in every single swimming stroke you attempt. Without the proper foundations, you're not going to be able to move very fast through the water, you increase the likelihood of drag, you're going to struggle with propulsion, and you run the risk of injury in some cases too.

Employing the services of a swimming instructor is an excellent way to make sure that you're getting everything correct when learning a new stroke. Still, you can also use the ZEN8 swim trainer to practice your positioning and technique when you cannot get to the pool. Not only will you save time on learning, but you'll also build your core muscles simultaneously.

Freestyle swimming does require a good amount of muscle strength because you're going to be moving at a good speed whether you're competing or not. So, abdominals (core) muscles are key here. Endurance takes time to build up, so you're going to need to practice regularly. But, if you can commit the time and effort to doing so, there's no reason why you can't master freestyle swimming.

It's a good idea to check out a freestyle swimming technique video or two, so you can see the stroke in action, but let's look at some specifics you need to know about this particular stroke.

How to Move Your Body During Freestyle Swimming

When freestyle swimming, you will face the water and as you move, your body will pivot from one side to the other in a smooth rolling motion. As you move your arm to pull the water for movement, you will turn your body in that direction. However, unlike other strokes, your head does not stay out of the water and instead stays in the water. For that reason, using goggles and a nose clip with freestyle swimming is a good option. Of course, you will lift your body out of the water when you need to breathe!

When you need to breathe, your body will move slightly further to the arm side, and your head will also turn to that side so you can take a breath.

Arm & Leg Positions And Movements

When freestyle swimming, the arms move alternatively. So, when one arm is out of the water, pulling at the water and moving forward, the other arm is just above the surface of the water, recovering in an extended position, facing forward. Then, once the pull is done, the arms switch positions. In essence, one arm is working while the other is recovering at any one time.

The starting position for freestyle swimming is with one arm extended forward, just under the water. Here, the forearm and the palm line up vertically, facing in a backward position. At this point, the elbow is still high up. Then, we move into an insweep, with the arms pulling at the water to propel the body forward. The other arm will then move into a downsweep, before moving into the propulsion phase.

In the upsweep that follows, the hand moves in the opposite direction and moves up from underneath the belly to the hip, pushing firmly against the water. At this point, the body moves to the side, leaving space for the hand to move.

In the recovery phase of arm movements, the forearm relaxes in an extended position, and the other arm takes over immediately. Again, it's a good idea to look at videos of freestyle swimming to get a view of what you're aiming towards as you're reading how to actually move your arms.

As far as the legs are concerned, you will use a flutter kick when freestyle swimming. That means fast and very small motions with your feet pointing out, and your knees bent very slightly. The flutter kick is done continually throughout the freestyle stroke.

How to Take Your Freestyle Swimming to The Next Level

Once you have mastered freestyle swimming and practised over some time, you'll want to know how to improve your technique and perhaps move faster through the water. This is particularly the case if you're training to compete in an event or perhaps a triathlon. There are several tips you can use to improve your technique.

• Make sure that your head is neutrally positioned - Your head should always be looking down at the pool floor, totally in line with the rest of your body, unless breathing. Avoid looking down as this may cause your body to sink down too much below the surface of the water and cause you to work unnecessarily hard.
• Keep your chest pushed downward - Sinking legs can be a problem when learning how to swim freestyle, so make sure that you keep your chest pushed downwards slightly at all times. This is proper upper body position and will cause your legs to stay up and means you don't work as hard trying to keep your legs from sinking.
• Roll your head when breathing - When you need to breathe, avoid lifting your head out of the water to do so. Instead, roll your face to the correct side to take a breath. This will ensure that you maintain your balance. The correct position should be that you have an eye out of the water and the other just underneath the water. Practice makes perfect in this regard, and you can do that at home with the ZEN8 swim trainer to save time. You should also make sure that you take your exhale in the water and empty your lungs while doing so.
• Avoid overreaching - A common mistake is to overreach with the recovering arm by overextending it. By doing this with your arm strokes, you're going to risk stretching your arm and shoulder muscles too much, but you will also cause too much drag.
• Make sure that your palm faces down - Pushing water in front of you is a big mistake because it causes too much turbulence and slows you down. When your arm is in recovery, and you're extending it forward, make sure that your palm faces downward. That way, you won't push water forwards when you start to move your arm again.

Freestyle swimming takes time to master, and even then, there is always extra information to take on board to improve the stroke. By doing this, you improve your speed and endurance over time.

If you're looking to compete in a professional event, you will likely use the freestyle stroke. For that reason, mastering it is key.