How To Improve Swimming Technique With 6 Simple Fixes

Small changes to your swim technique pay off across your whole race. You rarely need more hours in the pool, you need better form. If you are struggling with freestyle, it usually comes down to a handful of fixable habits. Here are the six elements coaches work on first, in order, with the cues to watch for and the drills that fix them.

Quick context: the four competitive strokes are freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. Freestyle (front crawl) is the fastest and most efficient over distance, so it is what triathletes race and what this guide focuses on. There is no single proper stroke for every situation, but there is a proper way to swim freestyle, and it starts with these six elements.

1. Body Position

Everything starts here. Before anything else, you need proper alignment in the water, and do not assume a wetsuit will fix your balance. A fast freestyle sits high and horizontal, with a compact flutter kick keeping the legs up rather than dragging.

• Cues to look for: Are your head, hips, and heels in line? Is your body long and level at the surface?
• How to improve: Drill until you can feel when you are out of position and self-correct before moving on.
• Drills: Superman, Belly to the Wall

2. Hand Entry

If the hand enters poorly, you lose the catch before it starts. Fingertips should enter first, in line with the shoulder, without crossing the centerline, and set up about four to six inches below the surface, not scooping back up toward it.

• Cues to look for: Do fingertips enter before the wrist and elbow, directly ahead of the shoulder, with no crossover? Does the hand stay below the elbow?
• How to improve: Record and review video, add on-land demonstrations, and drill the entry slowly.
• Drills: Pause Drill, Tap Drill

3. Timing

Fix the timing of the pull next. If the lead arm drops or starts pulling before the recovery arm comes around, it pushes water down, throws off alignment, and adds drag. Keep the lead arm extended and patient until the timing is right.

• Cues to look for: When does the lead hand start to pull relative to the recovery arm? Is it too early?
• How to improve: Slow the stroke down with pause-based drills so the catch waits for the right moment.
• Drills: Pause Drill, Tap Drill

4. The Catch And Stroke

Now grab the water and pull it back behind you, rather than pushing it down (which makes bubbles). This is the early vertical forearm. Set the elbow high and point the fingertips at the bottom of the pool without flexing the wrist.

• Cues to look for: With entry and timing correct, is the elbow set high while the forearm and fingertips face backward?
• How to improve: Use cues like keep the elbow high and outside, or imagine your forearm draped over a barrel and pulling back.
• Drills: Paint Brush, Fist Drill, Straight Arm

5. Breathing

The most common faults are over-inhaling and exhaling too late. Breathe out steadily into the water so you only need a quick sip of air. Turn the head, do not lift it, keeping one goggle in the water, and return to a still, aligned head between breaths. For a deeper look, see how to breathe when swimming.

• Cues to look for: Do you exhale fully in the water before turning? Does the head turn to the side rather than lifting to the ceiling?
• How to improve: Practice the exhale-inhale rhythm standing and bent at the hips, face in the water, then take it swimming.
• Drills: Belly to the Wall, taking a stroke to breathe

6. Arm Turnover

Great alignment can tip into over-gliding and a dead spot. Once your form holds, lift your stroke rate. Aim for a turnover you can sustain that produces your fastest times, not just the lowest stroke count. Most triathletes track cadence on the bike and run but ignore it in the pool.

• Cues to look for: Can you hold a slightly higher stroke rate without losing form or stroke length?
• How to improve: Count strokes per 25 yards and nudge the rate up gradually, holding each new rate before adding more.
• Drills: Stroke-count sets, tempo swims

Real gains can come in as few as three to five focused sessions. Work on only one or two of these at a time, repeat the drills to build muscle memory, and each swim will feel easier than the last. Want the drills in detail? Work through our essential swimming drills and freestyle drills to swim faster, then build fitness with these swim workouts for endurance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I improve my swim technique?

Work on six elements in order: body position, hand entry, timing, the catch and stroke, breathing, and arm turnover. Fix one or two per session, use drills to build muscle memory, and focus on form before speed. Most swimmers see real gains in three to five focused sessions.

What is the most effective swimming technique?

For distance and triathlon, freestyle (front crawl) is the fastest and most efficient stroke, which is why it is the focus of most technique work. The keys are a high, horizontal body position, a high-elbow catch, relaxed steady breathing, and a sustainable stroke rate.

What are the four swimming strokes?

The four competitive strokes are freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. Freestyle is the fastest and the one triathletes race. Butterfly is generally considered the hardest because of its timing and strength demands.

Why am I struggling with freestyle?

The usual culprits are a low body position with sinking hips, a hand entry that scoops toward the surface, mistimed pulling, pushing water down instead of back, and lifting the head to breathe. Diagnose them one at a time using the cues and drills above.

How long does it take to improve your swim stroke?

You can make noticeable improvements in as little as three to five focused technique sessions. The trick is to work on only one or two elements at a time and repeat the drills so the movement becomes automatic.

Kathy Alfino is a four-time IRONMAN World Championship qualifier and an IRONMAN Certified Coach with a nursing degree and a master's in Exercise Physiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation. She is co-owner of Mile High Multisport.