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How To Swim Front Crawl With Ease and Confidence

Are you a beginner wanting to learn how to swim front crawl?  Maybe you can swim front crawl but you've had enough of getting tired so quickly?  Good news!  I have taken front crawl and broken it down into its separate parts, meaning you can discover where you are going wrong and fine-tune your technique.  

1. Body Position

Your body must be kept horizontal, stretched and streamlined, with the face in the water and the eyes looking downwards and slightly forward.

Alignment: Maintain a horizontal and streamlined position on the water's surface. Your body should be flat, with a slight downward tilt of the head to keep the hips and legs aligned and reduce drag.​

Head Position: Keep your head in a neutral position, looking straight down. This positioning helps maintain proper body alignment and reduces resistance.​  The head leads the movement and only turns when a breath is taken.  Click here for details on front crawl body position.

2. Leg Kick

Your legs should kick in an alternating and continuous movement originating at the hips. It should be constant and alternating and should have minimal knee bend, and your toes should be pointed to reduce drag.​

The feet make a small splash as they kick near the water surface. 
While the kick contributes to propulsion, its main role is maintaining your body position and balance during the stroke.

 Click here for more details about front crawl leg kick technique.

3. Arm Action

Your arm movements should be alternating and follow a ’catch, pull, recovery’ sequence that must be continuous and flowing. 

Your fingertips lead the hand entry, entering the water at a point in front of your head, between your shoulder and centre line. 

Your hand should catch the water, palm down, and then accelerate through to the hip, before the arm is taken back over the water in a pathway close to the body, near the water surface. Click here for more details on front crawl arm technique.

4. Breathing Technique

Breathing Timing: Coordinate your breathing with your arm strokes. Turn your head to the side during the recovery phase of one arm, inhaling quickly before returning your face into the water during the pull phase.

There should be a breath out into the water as your arm pulls through and your head rolls to the side ready to take a breath in.

Breathe inwards quickly as the arm recovers over the water surface, and your face rolls back into the water as your hand enters. Click here for more details about front crawl breathing technique. 

5. Timing & Coordination

Each part of your stroke should complement each other whilst maintaining a balanced and streamlined body position. The coordination of your arm pulls and leg kicks can follow a 2, 4 or 6 beat cycle pattern, depending on your ability. 

All actions must be smooth and continuous, and include a regular breathing pattern that flows seamlessly during the stroke, without interrupting your arm and leg movements.   Click here for more details about front crawl timing and coordination.

Beginners: need to know and mistakes to avoid

Here are some crucial points for beginners learning how to swim front crawl.

Need To Know:

• Swim slowly and feel your way through the water. Smooth and gradual movements consume less energy.
• Practice your front crawl regularly, but don't overdo it.  
• Becoming breathless is normal. Front crawl can be hard work, but regular practice will help build your stamina.
• Don't be put off if your progress is slow. Be patient and determined, and you will get there. 

Mistakes To Avoid:

• Kicking too hard or too fast. Keep your leg kicks relaxed and flowing.
• Moving your head excessively while you swim disrupts other parts of your stroke. Keep your head still unless you're taking a breath.
• Do not hold your breath - it will cause you to tire quickly. Keep blowing out slowly into the water as you swim.

Drills to Improve Front Crawl Technique

• Catch-Up Drill: Swim with one arm extended forward. At the same time, the other completes a full stroke cycle, touching the extended hand before switching. This drill emphasizes proper arm mechanics and timing.​

• Single-Arm Drill: Swim using one arm while the other remains at your side. This drill focuses on isolating and improving the pull phase of the stroke.​

• Kickboard Drill: Use a kickboard to practice the flutter kick, focusing on generating propulsion from the hips and maintaining a steady, rhythmic kick.

For these drills and more, find them all in one ebook. 

Download your front crawl cheat sheet

Need something handy with you on the poolside to help? No problem!

Download this front crawl cheat sheet to keep handy during your next swim. It's simple, visual, and easy to follow.

Prefer to watch it in action?

Watching someone else do it can really help things click. Here's a video that might just help you out. 

FAQs

How To Swim Front Crawl - 22 Drills In 1 Book

If you're ready to swim the distance, dive in and grab a copy of my book that goes above and beyond...

'How To Swim Front Crawl' offers 22 fully illustrated drills with proven instructions on how to perform each one. (click here for an instant preview)

Click ADD TO CART below and download a copy of my book today!

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Fine-tune your technique and iron out those common mistakes by trying out some basic front crawl drills.  Click here to check them out. 

Front crawl is the preferred swimming stroke for triathletes. However, there are a few technique changes that need to be made under these conditions, especially when swimming in open water. Click here to find out more about triathlon swimming. 

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