Play “catch-up” while you swim freestyle. Catch up drills are a classic way of improving your freestyle stroke. Their goal is to smooth out and lengthen your stroke by making you pay attention to your strokes. You keep one arm out in front of you the entire time you swim, and wait until the arm taking a stroke “catches up” with the other one. For more interesting swimming drills, ask other swimmers, or go online. There are plenty of fun suggestions to keep your workout interesting. Challenge yourself by setting a yardage goal to complete each week. A good start is 2000 yards or meters a workout (forty lengths). Your goal is to become a better swimmer and nothing betters swimming like more swimming.

When you swim all strokes, your use more muscles. Your body will also get a much better workout. You’ll see and feel the results faster when you utilize all four strokes. The risk of injury while swimming is decreased because you aren’t always stressing the same muscles with the same movements. The musculature is more balanced. [3] X Research source The skills you learn from one stroke transfers into skills into a different stroke. For example, the underwater undulation you employ when kicking off the wall into breaststroke is transferable to the underwater undulation you’ll use when starting in backstroke.

Exercising your core while you learn will help you accomplish the technical aspects of a flip-turn. They require a full somersault, a trunk flexion, and rapid trunk extension.

  • Keep your chin down when using a flipturn in freestyle. Begin the turn about an arm’s length from the wall. You’ll begin to do a somersault or a “flip. ” Your chin should come close to your chest. Your knees should come close to your chest as well. Plant your feet against the wall and twist your torso. Put your hands together and streamline your body as you push away from the wall. When you’re doing a flipturn in backstroke. About one yard or meter from the wall, turn around to the front by reaching around with your leading arm. Look around with your head so your body will naturally follow. Keep the leading arm extended ahead and flip. Push off from the wall.

Start off in the shallow end and begin to move your hands and arms around. Push your hands against the water to feel the resistance. Cup your hands and pull them through the water (sculling). That pressure you feel is what is going to eventually help propel you through the water effortlessly. Bend your legs and let the water come up to your chin. Continue to move your hands and arms. Even when you are beginning to learn strokes, start each session like this.

Reach forward and hold onto the edge of the pool in the shallow end. Put your face in the water and blow out. When you are done, turn your head to the side and take a breath. Push your face back into the water and exhale. Try to create a long, steady stream of bubbles. Repeat until you are comfortable. Exhaling into the water and timing your breathing might be frightening at first, but with practice you’ll soon be ready to learn some basic strokes.

Relax. You have to relax. While learning how to float on your back, look at the sky or the ceiling and breathe deeply. Fill your lungs with air with each breath. Hold your breath for a moment and let the experience of being weightless atop the water calm you. Reach up with your arms if your legs sink. This will act as a counterbalance, bringing your legs up. Have a friend help. Having someone next to you to place a reassuring hand at the small of your back can ease your tension immeasurably. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Engaging your abdominal muscles will help you keep your appendages afloat easier. Float on your stomach. Let your arms go limp and free. Raise your head or tilt it to the side when you need a breath.

Move your legs in an “eggbeater” fashion. Start with your knees bend and your legs slightly wider than hip-width apart. Then pedal your legs in opposite directions. Let your kicks be relaxed and easy. Cup your hands and circle them in medium-sized (about two feet total) infinity signs. If you need to come up further, kick harder with your legs and arms to propel yourself above the rip of the water.

Hold on to the side of the pool. Put your face down and extend your body straight out. Turn your feet in slightly. Begin small kicks. Try to keep them small and efficient, rarely breaking the surface of the water. Your legs should bend, but only slightly. [8] X Research source feelforthewater. com/2013/08/annies-tips-for-your-kick. html This is a flutter kick. Practice a front stroke. This is also known as freestyle. Bring one arm out of the water so that it is reaching forward. Place it back into the water with a slightly cupped hand, then pull your arm through the water. As your pull the water down, your stroke will naturally end at your hip. Alternate arms.

If you can’t find a coach, have a swimming buddy whose technique you admire watch your workout.

Know your stroke rate. It’s a powerful aspect to know because it will allow you to make needed changes to your strokes to improve your style. Ask a friend or coach to time you for ten strokes with a stopwatch, not including dives or push-offs, just regular swimming. Count the number of strokes you take in the ten seconds. This is your stroke rate. Adjust your stroke as needed.

Long distance swims are a great way to focus your expertise in your training for an fun event. Sign up with friends and make a weekend getaway out of it!

Buy a pair that does not pinch at the nose. Good goggles should be snug but not pinch. Push them against your face. If they stick around your eyes, that is a good sign they will not leak when you are in the water.

Latex caps are protect well against chlorine but are difficult to put on and remove. Putting a bit of talcum powder in the cap before you put it on and while it’s dry helps. Don’t use if you have a latex allergy. Silicone swim caps are the most popular although they are a bit more expensive. They are commonly used by people with medium to long hair. They protect hair well against the water and are still flexible enough to put on and take off. [12] X Research source They do, however, slip off your head more easily. . Lycra swim caps are more comfortable and more durable than silicone or latex. They are not waterproof, however, and tend to slip the most while swimming. Neoprene swim caps are great for keeping your head warm in cold water. They are thicker, have seams, and often have a certain smell. They are great, however, if you are swimming outdoors in rivers, lakes, or reservoirs.

Using flippers will give you a sense of cutting quickly through the water. Remember this feeling and try to emulate it when you take the fins off. Kicking efficiently is highlighted using flippers, especially if you have a cross-over kick. They will force you to keep your feet a proper distance. They will also help increase your ankle flexibility[14] X Research source by streamlining the position of your feet.

Buy a polyester blend if you’ll be spending lots of time in the water. If cared for properly, they can last for years. Buy lycra swimwear if you won’t be in the pool daily. It’s soft, comfortable, and is known for its expansive stretchiness. Keep in mind though, that no material is impervious to chlorine so always pay attention to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Pull buoys and kickboards are a great resource to have if you have an injury. You can keep up with your workouts and rest the part of your body that is injured at the same time.

They should be done with moderate weight and high reps (15-20 per set).

Make sure you secure the band to something really stable. A sudden jolt from something breaking can lead to injury.