To improve your freestyle technique, fix body position before anything else. Most swimmers lose more speed to dragging legs and a lifted head than to weak arms. Correct the position, then the catch, then breathing, then finally worry about turnover rate.
Why does body position come first in freestyle?
Almost every freestyle problem is downstream of body position. A swimmer whose hips sit low is
dragging a wall through the water, and no amount of arm strength compensates for that.
The usual cause is lifting the head. Your hips follow your head: look forward and they sink, look
down and they rise. The fix is uncomfortable at first because it feels like you cannot see where you
are going, which is exactly why swimmers resist it.
Press the chest slightly, keep the head neutral with eyes down, and let the legs come up. Everything
else gets easier from there.
What is the catch in freestyle, and what do most swimmers get wrong?
The catch is where your hand and forearm anchor against the water so the body moves past them.
Most amateur swimmers pull with a dropped elbow, which slices rather than anchors.
What you want is a high elbow with the forearm facing backward, forming a paddle from fingertips
to elbow. It feels like reaching over a barrel. It is also genuinely hard and takes months rather
than sessions, which is why coaches spend so much time on it.
How do I breathe in freestyle without wrecking my stroke?
Breathing is where good strokes fall apart. The two faults are lifting the head instead of
rotating, and holding the breath rather than exhaling continuously underwater.
- Rotate, do not lift. One goggle in, one goggle out. The head turns with the
body roll rather than independently of it. - Exhale underwater, steadily. If you surface still holding air, you have to
exhale and inhale in the same window, which is why you feel short of breath. - Breathe bilaterally in training even if you favor one side racing, because it
keeps the stroke symmetrical.
Drills that actually work
- Kick on your side. Builds the body position and rotation the full stroke needs.
- Catch-up. Slows the stroke enough to feel what each arm is doing.
- Fingertip drag. Encourages a high elbow recovery without thinking about it.
- Sculling. Teaches the hand to feel pressure, which is the foundation of the catch.
Do drills at the start of a session when you are fresh, not at the end when you are tired and
reinforcing bad habits. If you want structured feedback rather than self-diagnosis, our
Swim Classes cover technique for adults as well as
children.
Key takeaways
- Body position is upstream of everything: lifted head means sunk hips, and no arm strength fixes it.
- Look down, press the chest slightly, and let the legs rise. It feels wrong at first, which is why people resist it.
- The catch means anchoring the forearm, not slicing with a dropped elbow, and it takes months to build.
- Rotate to breathe rather than lifting: one goggle in, one goggle out.
- Exhale steadily underwater; surfacing still holding air is why you feel out of breath.
- Do drills fresh at the start of a session, not tired at the end when you reinforce bad habits.
- Two or three shorter sessions beat one long one, because technique consolidates with frequency.
- Slow swimming exposes position faults that speed hides, which makes it a useful diagnostic.
- Increasing turnover before fixing the catch just slips more water more often.
Four common freestyle faults
| Fault | What it looks like | Fix | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low hips | Head lifted, looking forward | Press chest, eyes down | Largest single speed cost |
| Dropped elbow | Slicing instead of anchoring | Sculling and catch-up drill | Months, not sessions |
| Lifting to breathe | Head turns independently | One goggle in, one out | Wrecks body position |
| Holding breath | Exhaling at the surface | Steady exhale underwater | Feels like poor fitness |
Want to book a class?
Call (516) 872-4571. We teach at 490 Sunrise Highway, Rockville Centre, NY 11570.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to improve your freestyle technique?
Fix body position first. Most swimmers gain more from raising their hips than from any amount of extra training volume, and it is the cheapest change available.
Should I use a pull buoy?
Sparingly. It artificially fixes body position, which feels great and teaches you nothing about holding that position yourself. Useful for isolating the catch, unhelpful as a crutch.
How often should I swim to improve?
Two or three sessions a week beats one long one. Technique is a motor skill and motor skills consolidate with frequency rather than duration.
Do I need to breathe bilaterally?
In training, yes, because it keeps the stroke symmetrical. Racing, many swimmers favor one side. The training habit protects the technique.
Why do I sink when I slow down?
Usually head position rather than body composition. Slower swimming exposes a position problem that speed was masking, which is why slow swimming is a useful diagnostic.
Is a faster turnover better?
Not on its own. Increasing turnover with a poor catch just means slipping more water more often. Fix the anchor first, then think about rate.
Can adults still learn good technique?
Yes. Adults often progress faster than children on technique specifically, because they can process instruction and self-correct deliberately.
How long before I see a difference?
Body position changes can feel different within a session. The catch takes months. Expect the timeline to be uneven rather than steady.
Do I need a coach or can I self-correct?
You can fix body position alone using video on your phone from the poolside. The catch is much harder to self-diagnose because it happens where you cannot see it, which is where a coach earns their fee.
Are paddles and fins useful?
Fins help you feel a good body position, which is genuinely useful early. Paddles amplify whatever your catch already is, so they reinforce a bad catch as readily as a good one. Use them late, not early.
