Swimming is more than a recreation; it is a vital skill with significance for individuals across all age groups. From splashing around in the local pool to conquering open waters, the ability to swim enhances the experience and adds value to one’s life.
This blog highlights a particular aspect of swimming: the freestyle swimming technique. As a fundamental skill taught in swimming lessons, mastering the art of freestyle contributes to overall water safety and boosts confidence and enjoyment in the water.
Keep reading to discover what freestyle swimming is and the techniques and secrets of this versatile stroke!
Overview Of Freestyle Swimming
Freestyle swimming is a type of swimming stroke characterised by alternating arm movements, flutter kicks, and rhythmic breathing techniques. It’s often considered the most common and versatile stroke used in competitive swimming.
Mastering freestyle swimming is not just about speed or competition; it’s a valuable life skill with numerous benefits, especially for children. It enhances water safety by teaching children efficient swimming techniques, such as proper breathing and stroke mechanics.
With its emphasis on bilateral breathing, freestyle equips the swimmer with the ability to navigate through water confidently and safely. This crucial skill reduces the risk of accidents and drowning incidents, making freestyle swimming an essential component of any comprehensive swimming curriculum for children.
Effective Techniques For Freestyle Swimming
The freestyle technique isn’t just about moving through the water; it’s about executing proper technique precisely and efficiently. Here’s a closer look at the key components and effective teaching methods:
Make Sure To Breathe Properly
Learning how to breathe properly is crucial when mastering freestyle swimming. Start by focusing on exhaling continuously while your face is underwater, allowing the air to escape through your nose or mouth.
When it’s time to take a breath, gently turn your head to the side, ensuring a smooth and quick movement to avoid disrupting your stroke rhythm. Keep one ear in the water as you breathe to maintain your body’s alignment and reduce resistance.
Practice rhythmic breathing drills to build confidence and efficiency in your breathing technique.
Achieve Proper Body Position
Achieving the proper body position is key to effectively using the freestyle swimming technique. Keep your body flat and parallel to the water’s surface, with your head positioned in a neutral position aligned with your spine.
Aim for a straight line from the top of your head to your toes to minimise resistance and increase your speed through the water. Engage your core muscles to help stabilise your body and maintain balance, ensuring optimal upper-body alignment.
You can practice maintaining proper body alignment by doing drills like side kicking or swimming with a buoy between your legs to streamline your movement and enhance your understanding of swimming strokes.
Execute Correct Arm Movement
The arm stroke in freestyle is a coordinated series of movements that propel you through the water. Start by breaking down the stroke into its key components: the reach, pull, and recovery phases.
- Reach:
During the reach phase, swimmers extend one arm forward, ensuring the fingertips enter the water first. Maintaining full arm extension and a high elbow position is essential to minimise dragging and maximise the reach while maintaining a neutral head position.
- Pull:
As swimmers transition into the pull phase, they initiate the movement by bending the elbow and drawing the hand towards the body. Engaging the lats and core muscles provides the power needed for propulsion. Keeping the hand and forearm vertical throughout the pull generates maximum resistance against the water, enhancing forward movement and ensuring a consistent stroke cycle.
- Recovery:
The recovery phase begins as the hand completes the pull and reaches the hip. Swimmers lift the arm out of the water with a bent elbow, sweeping it forward and upward in a smooth motion. Upon re-entry, the fingertips should lead the way for the next stroke, ensuring a seamless transition into the reach phase of the subsequent arm movement while maintaining proper body forward movement and coordinating with the opposite arm.
You can reinforce proper arm mechanics by practising drills like catch-up or fingertip drag to strengthen your pull phase.
Maintain Consistent Flutter Kick
The flutter kick plays a vital role in freestyle swimming, providing propulsion and stability in the water. Straighten your legs with a slight knee bend, kicking from your hips quickly and continuously.
Focus on maintaining a consistent and rhythmic kick, with both legs moving together in unison. Keep your ankles relaxed and point your toes slightly downwards to minimise any resistance.
You can improve your kicking technique and endurance by practising drills like vertical kicking or using a kickboard. Mastering the flutter kick will enhance your overall propulsion and efficiency in freestyle swimming.
Common Mistakes In Doing Freestyle Swimming Techniques
1. Incorrect Breathing Technique:
One of the most frequent mistakes is an improper breathing technique, where swimmers may hold their breath or exhale too forcefully underwater, leading to breathlessness and fatigue. Another common error is lifting the head too high while breathing, causing the body to sink and disrupting the stroke rhythm.
2. Sinking Hips:
Allowing the hips to sink during freestyle swimming creates excessive drag and impedes forward motion. This often results from poor body position or lack of core engagement.
3. Overreaching or Underreaching:
Overreaching during the arm extension phase can strain the shoulders and compromise stroke efficiency. Conversely, underreaching limits the stroke length, reducing propulsion.
4. Inefficient Arm Pull:
Pulling too wide or crossing over the centreline reduces the effectiveness of the arm stroke, resulting in wasted energy and slower swimming speeds. Insufficient engagement of the core and lats during the pull phase diminishes power output and propulsion.
5. Inconsistent Kick Technique:
A common mistake is kicking too forcefully or with excessive knee bend, leading to increased drag and fatigue. Conversely, a weak or ineffective flutter kick fails to provide adequate propulsion, resulting in slower swimming times.
6. Lack of Rotation:
Insufficient body rotation limits the reach and power of each stroke, inhibiting forward movement and increasing resistance. Overrotation can lead to instability and loss of balance in the water, compromising stroke efficiency.
7. Poor Coordination:
Failing to coordinate the arm pull with the kick and breathing rhythm disrupts the flow of the stroke and reduces overall efficiency. Lack of coordination between bilateral breathing can result in uneven stroke mechanics and decreased endurance.
Conclusion About Freestyle Swimming Techniques
In conclusion, mastering freestyle swimming techniques is crucial for ensuring children’s safety and promoting their overall health. Learning proper technique equips the swimmer with essential water safety skills and fosters confidence and enjoyment in aquatic activities.
If you are a parent, we encourage you to take proactive steps by enrolling your children in our swimming lessons for kids. Invest in their safety and fitness with the benefits of learning freestyle swimming.
Join SwimHub now and give your child the gift of expert guidance and support through our NROC-certified coaches! Contact us and sign up today to get a free pair of swim goggles!
Frequently Asked Questions About Freestyle Swimming Techniques
What Is The Fastest Way To Swim Freestyle?
The fastest way to swim freestyle is by mastering proper technique, including a solid and efficient arm pull, rhythmic breathing, and a steady flutter kick.
Which Kick Is Used For Freestyle?
The flutter kick is used for freestyle swimming.
How To Do Freestyle Swimming For Beginners?
For beginners, learning freestyle stroke involves starting with basic drills to practice arm movements, kicking technique, and breathing coordination. Consistent practice and gradual progression are key to improvement.
What Type Of Breathing Technique Is Used For Freestyle?
In freestyle swimming, bilateral breathing is commonly used, where swimmers alternate breathing to both sides to maintain balance and efficiency in the water.
