This blog post explains how swimmers can improve performance by refining technique, building endurance, and following structured training plans. It addresses common challenges such as inefficient stroke mechanics, pacing, and lack of consistency.

So, you have decided you want to learn how to become a better swimmer. Most people decide to get back into the pool or start swimming in earnest for fitness. You may be an aspiring lap swimmer, able to comfortably travel up and down the swim lane. Or you may be looking to tackle your first triathlon swim. You might even decide to join a local Masters swim session–where all ages and skill levels are welcome. But you need to get started.

Getting better at swimming becomes easier when you break down the key parts of the swim stroke within a structured swim training program. In this discussion, I’ll focus on the freestyle stroke, since it is most commonly used. But many of the principles, with variations, are the same.

Breathing

You are situated in a somewhat foreign environment during swim training, where you need to breathe above the water while most of your body remains under the surface. You exhale with your face in the water, and inhale when your face is out of the water. Learning when to breathe properly is about maintaining body position.

Body Position

Your lungs are filled with air, and like a beachball you float. However, your legs hang off your torso, and most people’s legs sink. This means you need to learn to kick properly to maintain a level position on the water. While kicking generates some propulsion, the main function of kicking is to hold yourself level with the surface of the water. Once you are level, breathing becomes a lot easier. But if you lift your head upward looking forward, gravity will take your legs deeper in the water, creating more resistance.

Body Rotation

Your outer body is symmetrical, each half generally equal. Freestyle swimming (and backstroke) is a matter of rotating on the axis at the center of your body. One rotation lifts your arms in the recovery phase of the stroke, while the other arm holds the water in a pulling motion. When you rotate deeper into the stroke that pulling arm, recruits the larger muscles in your torso. Swimming flat is inefficient and is the chief cause of repetitive stress injuries in your shoulders. Learn how to reach and roll.

Kicking

Triathlete swimmers sometimes tell me that they don’t think that they need to develop a good kick, since they will be racing with a wetsuit and hope to save their legs for the bike and swim. Your arms do most of the work, but the torso — those big muscles on your back, your chest and your abdomen support your arms. And so your lower body from your pelvis and gluts serve to support your torso, which supports your arms, and your body rotation. I tell swimmers: You don’t need to kick hard, you just need to kick well.

Developing a Good Kick

Many developing swimmers struggle with kicking, which in turn prevents good body rotation and positioning — and your breathing. I’ve worked with dozens of swimmers who initially don’t kick well, for whick there aren’t many drills or remedies — other than a coach on deck telling you to “Point your toes! Don’t bend your knees.” Over time, you will develop a fluid, efficient and powerful kick — just don’t bend your knees and be sure to point your toes! I tell struggling swimmers: The kickboard is your friend. Use it!

Hand Entry

Watch a good swimmer and you’ll observe how their hand enters first at the fingertips, then wrist, then elbow and arm. (It happens fast, but you’ll see it.) Swimmers shouldn’t slap at the water or place their hand and arm into the water at the same time. The body rotation enables the movement of rolling into the stroke and pull. When your hand comes into the water at a slight angle, you are set up for a good catch and pull.

Catch and Pull

Newton’s law of motion describes that to move forward you exert force backwards. But how do you move in a water environment? Answer: By catching the water and pulling backwards against it. Your “swim paddle” is your hand and forearm. A good catch sets up an efficient pull using your paddle. To do this, you need to change your thinking about moving through water. Don’t start pulling with your hands, start with your forearm in a “high elbow” position.

Many intermediate swimmers start the stroke by dragging their hand and elbow through the water. But they don’t really push against the water until halfway through the stroke. The remedy is to work on achieving a high elbow catch (aka early vertical forearm). There are a number of good “high elbow” catch drills, but I focus on the EVF Sculling Drill and YMCA Drill most of the time. Once you learn these stroke patterns, you can incorporate them into your swim routine.

Arm Recovery

Once you’ve pushed against the water (the pull), you need to bring your arm back to the start (hand entry) of the stroke. Recovering your arms can be the main determent to an efficient freestyle stroke. If you swing your arms across the center line of your body, or if you land elbow first, you are introducing considerable resistance in your stroke. I stress two points: Lift your arm from the shoulder to the elbow, let your hand and forearm relax while your upper arm does the work; Your hand should enter along the same line (elbows bent) as when it exits. This enables the symmetry we hope to develop.

My Drill Progression for a Good Freestyle Stroke: 

Start by kicking on your side, one arm extended and the other resting on your leg. Just kick in that extended position. Turn your face to the side, out of the water. You may want to use training fins.

Add a Breath

Progress into breathing by looking downwards and exhaling, then rotate your head on the axis in your neck, face out of the water. Rotate your shoulders some, enough to get your face out of the water. Return to looking down to exhale, then turn your head to breath. Repeat down the length of the pool.

Straight Arm Drill

Kick six times in the same rotated position as above. Lift your arm straight up from your hip, pointing to the ceiling for a moment. Strive to find a balance point. Then let that arm fall into the water, as you rotate your torso so that the opposite shoulder and opposite arm fall to the surface and your other arm extends straight out.

Broken Arrow Drill

After you’ve gotten the hang of the Straight Arm Drill, when you reach the top of the recovery, arm straight up, bend your arm and point your hand into a good entry (fingertips, wrist, elbow, shoulder), and rotate and your hand enters.

6-1-6 Drill

Kick on your side (as you started in the progression) for six kicks, then lift your arm to start a good recovery. The trailing hand recovers into the leading hand, the other other hand rests on the hip. At this point, turn your head to breathe, look down again. Finish kicking 6 kicks and repeat.

Summary

An efficient freestyle stroke is essential when learning how to become a better swimmer. It requires a level body position with your head, hips, and feet all near the surface of the water. To breathe properly and effect a good pull, you rotate your shoulders and hips to “catch” the water, entering the water fingertips first. Raise your elbow high and pull your arm (your paddle) backwards. Recover your arm in alignment to your stroke, placing the hands again fingers first for the next pull.