Breathing Technique

Your breathing sets the rhythm of the stroke. Pretty much the way it does while you’re running! A common mistake is that swimmers wait a little too long before taking a breath. Many wait till their hands are out of the water to take a deep breath in. Well, that’s too long and probably is what’s slowing you down!

Corrective tip:

This one’s easy to fix with a little practice. All you have to do is to remember to breathe the moment you start the pulling phase of the stroke. This means the moment your hand enters the water, you should take a breath in.

Body Position

If you’ve been swimming for a while now, you should know the importance of maintaining a streamline position throughout your swim. However, a streamline position does not mean being stiff and flat! When you do the front crawl, there are arm movements. This causes the need for you to be flexible enough to move in a way that does not inhibit the movement of your other joints such as your rotator cuff! While 

Corrective tip:

It’s good that you want to maintain a streamline position, but remember that you are allowed to be flexible enough to adapt to the needs of your body’s movements. Allow full extension of your arms when needed and move together with it.

Leg Movement

Many swimmers make the mistake of bending their knees while flutter kicking. While you might feel that it gives you a stronger kick, that is not what’s happening. You’ll actually end up up exhausting yourself since you’ll create more resistance in the water. Another issue when it comes to flutter kicking is kicking too hard! This issue actually comes hand in hand with driving with your knees. Even though more effort = more speed sounds like it makes sense, it doesn’t in this aspect.

Corrective tip:

Try initiating the movement (kicking) from your hips instead! With your knees kept as straight as they can be, take on small yet swift kicks. If you do it right, you’ll find yourself being propelled forward at a much faster pace and that your knees can be kept relatively straight!

“Braking”

This one might sound so minor but it’ll make a huge difference in your pace once corrected. Notice how the swimmer’s hands kind of goes into this “stop!” position? Told you even your fingertips make a difference, didn’t I? It’s such a minor issue you might actually be guilty of this without even being aware.

Image Credit : 220triathalon

Corrective tip:

Since this problem occurs when you overextend your arm, using a swim paddle might help! When swimming incorrectly, you’ll be able to feel the pressure of the water against this swimming aid. You’ll thus be inclined to ensure your hand is parallel to the water surface. After you get used to how the arm movement and your hand positioning (or angle) should be, don’t forget to ditch the swim paddles and try it on your own!

Crossover

Image Credit : Swimsmooth

Another really common mistake happens when your hand crosses over the midline of your body. Why is this not okay? Asides from reducing the efficiency of your swim, it might also lead to shoulder injuries!

Corrective tip:

Imagining a clock helps with this one! What you should be doing is aiming your fingers at 11:30 and 12:30. You might also need to straighten your arm slightly to help achieve that! With that in mind, you should be able to correct this very common mistake.

Conclusion

While there are many technicalities to mastering the art of the front crawl, it isn’t as hard as it seems. All you have to do is improve on one correction at a time and you’ll be an expert in no time at all! If you find yourself needing more help or if you would prefer having a professional check your technique, there is always the option of joining a swim class or hiring a private coach. As they say, when there’s a will, there’s definitely a way!

If you are looking for professional help to correct your front crawl posture, sign up with us at Condo Swimming Lessons.

Hello everyone! I'm a gym enthusiast who gets very excited at the sight of dogs. Drinking teh tarik is my form of relaxation. I hope you share my passion for anything fitness-related through my writing!