Introduction
Swimming is a great form of exercise with many physical and mental health benefits. Learning to swim freestyle is a great place to start whether you're swimming for general health, fitness, or competition. As the quickest and most efficient stroke, freestyle is easily the most popular among casual and competitive swimmers alike. This article will teach you the fundamentals of freestyle swimming, including proper form tips, breathing techniques, and basic drills to improve your stroke.
Getting Started with Freestyle Swimming
Before you start learning how to swim freestyle, it's important to make sure you have the right equipment. While you can always hop in a pool with nothing but shorts and a t-shirt, I'd recommend you pickup a few things to help you get started: a swimsuit that's comfortable and doesn't restrict your movement, good goggles that are tight and don't leak, a kickboard, and a pull buoy (which can both be found for about $10-$20 online). In addition, you can also pick up a pair of swim fins for practicing proper underwater kicks, a snorkel, and a swim parachute to build strength and work on fast tempo (this is pretty advanced stuff so do some research on your own to determine if you want to try it out!).
Related: Swim Equipment Guide For Beginners (Coming Soon!)
Body Position and Alignment
The key to swimming freestyle efficiently is maintaining a horizontal body position in the water. As a swimmer, your goal is to do two things: reduce drag (because water is far denser than air so it'll slow you down more) and increase power (kicking and pulling efficiently). For proper body positioning, imagine you have a stick that goes from your hips to your neck - your body should be aligned from head to toe, with your head, hips, and feet in a straight line. The top of your head should be facing forward, with your eyes pointed down looking at the bottom of the pool the whole time. Finally your hips should be slightly higher in the water than your head and feet.
Arm Stroke
The arm stroke is one of the most important aspects of swimming. The basic arm stroke consists of three parts: the catch, the pull, and the recovery.
Catch: As you reach forward with one arm, cup your hand and extend your fingers to create a "V" shape. This will help you grab and hold onto the water, propelling you forward.
Pull: Keeping your elbow bent, pull your arm back towards your hip. This will generate the most power and push you forward through the water. (Tip: imagine you're rolling a large ball down and back, along your side)
Recovery: After you've completed the pull, lift your arm out of the water, rotating your shoulder and rotating your body to the side as you do so. This will help you maintain a good body position as you bring your arm back into position for the next stroke.
Important Note: Make sure that you never cross your hand past your head when you reach for each stroke - doing so can cause injury. Instead, make sure you're reaching straight forward, not across your body.
Breathing
Breathing is an important aspect of freestyle swimming, and it's important to get it right from the start. When swimming freestyle, you should try to breathe every three strokes, taking a breath as your arm comes out of the water. To make it easier, you can coordinate your breathing with your arm strokes. Take a breath as one arm comes out of the water, then exhale as the other arm comes out.
When you breathe, make sure not to lift your head out of the water as doing so will increase drag and kill your momentum. Instead, tilt your head to the side slightly so the top of your head is still pointed forwards and your mouth is just barely out of the water. Quickly take a breath, then rotate your neck and look back at the bottom of the pool.
Kick
The kick is a secondary aspect of freestyle swimming, but still super important to get right. The freestyle kick, or flutter kick, is done by moving your legs up and down in a small, scissor-like motion. The power for your kick should come from your hips, not your knees, and your legs should be straight but relaxed and not stiff.
Kicking can quickly deplete your oxygen and stamina so make sure you plan accordingly:
For distance swimmers: focus on a slow pace, about 4-6 kicks per stroke. Helps to maintain body position and provide some propulsion without completely draining you.
For sprinters: focus on a fast and powerful kick. Generates speed and strong propulsion through the water in short bursts.
Drills for Improving Your Freestyle Stroke
Once you've got the basics of freestyle swimming down, you can start incorporating drills into your training to help improve your stroke. Here are a few drills you can try:
Fist drill: To work on your catch and pull, swim using only your fists. This will help you focus on the movements of your arms and improve your technique.
Single arm drill: To work on your arm stroke, swim using only one arm at a time. Alternate arms every few strokes to get a good workout.
Kick board drill: To work on your kick, hold onto a kick board and focus on keeping a strong kick while your arms are out of the water.
Pull buoy drill: A pull buoy is a small foam device that you place between your legs to help you maintain a good body position in the water. Using a pull buoy will allow you to focus on your arm stroke.
Focal point drill: Choose a specific focal point, such as a tile or a line on the bottom of the pool, and swim towards it, focusing on maintaining good form and technique. This drill will help you improve your overall swimming efficiency and body positioning in the water.
Conclusion
Learning to swim freestyle for the first time can be challenging, but with practice and persistence, you'll soon be gliding through the water with ease. Remember to start with the basics, focusing on body positioning, arm stroke, breathing, and kick. Incorporate drills into your training to help improve your stroke, and don't be afraid to ask a coach or more experienced swimmer for help if you need it. With time and dedication, you'll be swimming freestyle like a pro in no time. Happy swimming!
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