4 Ways to Improve Your Freestyle

Jul 19, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Nathan Schrimsher of the United States holds off M Jorge Inzunza of Mexico (top) to win his heat in the 200m freestyle swim during Men’s Modern Pentathlon during the 2015 Pan Am Games at Pan Am Aquatics UTS Centre and Field House. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher/USA Today Sports Images

4 Ways to Improve Your Freestyle

By Jacob Riley

Freestyle is a complicated stroke because it’s the resting stroke that everybody seems to do differently. Some people look like they’re flailing with pizzaz, some people look so elegant that there is no way they’re going fast, and some people just find a way to move through the water quickly. Whichever way you look at it, there are many good ways to do freestyle. Here’s four quick ways to improve yours.

1. Elongate Your Stroke

This is one of the simplest ways to improve, yet it’s one of the most difficult. A lot of people do not swim to their maximum potential because they do not take long strokes. The longer the stroke means the more water you pull. The more water you pull means the faster you go.

2. “Find Your Anchor and Set it.”

When swimming freestyle you need to find a set point in your stroke where you want to pull from. Usually you want this point to be out front so you pull the most amount of water that you can. You want to find this specific point in your stroke, and you want to just pull as hard as you can from that point. This will help you maximize your efficiency.

3. Keep within your power zone when pulling

There’s a set path your strokes should follow in order to keep maximum power. This path lies just along where your shoulder blade is. If you take your stroke too far in towards your head, you end up losing power. You also lose power if you take your stroke too far out to the side, away from your body.

4. Keep a high turnover rate (Especially sprinters)

Some of these things are hard to instill, but once they are almost perfected a high turnover rate needs to be kept. This cannot be sacrificed for power however. The high turnover rate will allow you to be as powerful as possible, and continue to keep your turnover speed.

If you can keep high power and continue to keep high turnover, your freestyle will improve and these tips will help it get there!

All swimming and dryland training and instruction should be performed under the supervision of a qualified coach or instructor, and in circumstances that ensure the safety of participants.

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Amanda Gage

7 years ago

Mike Stanton here you go

Doug Clark

7 years ago

Janice Clark

Alberto Cano

7 years ago

José Jose Alberto Cano

Ashley Ryan Els

7 years ago

Michael Klomp

Ayman Aly

7 years ago

Mohamed Aly

Natalie Archer

7 years ago

Brittany Archer

Katie Maloney

7 years ago

Lucy Towle

7 years ago

Reply to Katie Maloney

Already on the twitter ??

Natasha Ward Jones

7 years ago

Michaela Ward

7 years ago

Reply to Natasha Ward Jones

Oooh I’ll look at this

Vicki Hopkin

7 years ago

Charlie Hopkin

Cory Lukens Bowen

7 years ago

Randy Clements

Connie Sharpe Ruohomaki

7 years ago

#4 seems tough

Jenny Walland Steinberg

7 years ago

Alexandria Marie

Naim Ramlee

7 years ago

Best tips i got this year
Or guideline?

Thank you

Hugh G. Rection

7 years ago

10/10 WOULD READ AGAIN. AND TO THINK THIS ENTIRE TIME I WAS JUST FLAILING WITH PIZAZZ. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR AMAZING TIPS.

Bayu Wafiudin

7 years ago

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Catherine Downes

7 years ago

Keiva Evans some little tips ?

Narda Paredes

7 years ago

Mi habibito eres un gran nadador.

Sameh Ezzat Farid

7 years ago

Peter Sameh Ezzat
Carol Sameh