Freestyle is the most popular swimming style
and every swimmer from beginner to professional
aim to swim freestyle with the best possible technique
However, to achieve the proper technique professional knowledge is required
On our YouTube channel SWIMMATE
we will learn the correct technique for freestyle, starting with a basic freestyle overview
To perform an efficient stroke
It's crucial to catch the water
To do this, the swimmers should start the stroke grabbing the water with a high elbow position
It's achieved by starting the stroke only with the forearm
and keeping the elbow facing upwards, as is shown in the video
Performing the stroke with a high elbow position
will allow the swimmer to catch the largest amount of water and achieve a highly efficient stroke
When the swimmer has caught the water,
the next step is to perform a stroke that is powerful from beginning to end
The stroke should be as long as possible and must end near the leg, as the video shows
The correct technique is when the hand continues the stroke until the whole arm is straight
When the stroke in the water is done, the swimmer should raise the hand into the air
returning it to the starting position while keeping the arm relaxed
Kicking is obviously very important in freestyle
it can help significantly if done correctly or it can create additional resistance if done poorly
The kicks should not go beyond the diameter of the body
to help the swimmer can imagine that they're swimming in a tunnel
If the kicks are extending above or below the swimmers body then resistance is created
It's crucial to perform narrow kicks to keep the resistance as low as possible
Kicking should be performed with straight legs bending at the knee only in the last phase of the kick
The kick starts with a hip movement up to down
the shin follows the hip also performing a movement from up to down
It's important to return a straightened leg to the starting position by moving the leg upwards
By moving the leg correctly upwards the swimmer will also gain additional power increasing their speed
When swimming freestyle the swimmer needs to control their body position this has a large effect on swimming efficiency
The whole body's position should be straight and situated on the surface of the water
It's very important to remember that the body shouldn't be deep in the water
as the deeper the body is in the water
the harder it is to swim
Also, the hips and legs should be on the surface or close to it
A high body position in the water will allow the swimmer to achieve
the least amount of resistance possible increasing efficiency
Another element crucial to freestyle swimming technique is breathing
bad breathing technique can create unwanted disturbance and problems for the swimmer
The swimmer is able to use different breathing rhythms
Bilateral breathing to both sides of the body in a three to one rhythm
Breathing every 3rd stroke, or in a five to one rhythm breathing on every 5th stroke
It's also possible to breathe only on one side of the body using a two-to-one or four to one breathing pattern
The swimmer is free to choose the rhythm
that they find most comfortable
in freestyle swimming the head is in a neutral position
With the chin positioned close enough to the chest
that the swimmer looks down and slightly forward as the line shows in the video
It's important to not lift the head up and attempts to look forward
For breathing, the swimmer starts turning the head to the side in the last phase of the stroke
as shown in the video
The reason for starting the head turn at this point
is to prepare the breathing position of the head for when the arm stroke is done
This positioning of the head allows the swimmer to start taking oxygen immediately
when the arm rises from the water without wasting valuable time
The intake of breath is done while the arm is being returned to the starting position
The head should then be turned back into the water
before the arm hits the water in its return to the starting position
It's worth mentioning that before starting a breath most of the air in the lungs should be expelled into the water
So that while the head is in the breathing position the swimmer only takes in air not wasting time breathing out
Let's summarize the technical elements
To perform a correct and efficient stroke the swimmer needs to grab the water with the elbow in a high position
Continue the stroke all the way until the end
Maintain a small diameter of kicking keeping the legs straight and performing the kicks from hip to foot
The body should be high and on the surface of the water
Breathing is done by turning the head to the side immediately after the arm stroke
As always, if you have some questions leave them in the comments and we'll be happy to answer you
Stay tuned for our upcoming video covering in more detail at the technical elements of freestyle swimming
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