body	kick	pull	breathe	timing

body	kick	pull	breathe	timing

How to Swim Freestyle: A No-Nonsense Guide for Beginners

So, you want to learn how to swim freestyle? Maybe you’re tired of doggy paddling while everyone else glides through the water like fish. Or maybe you just want to swim faster, get fitter, or finally master that smooth freestyle stroke. Whatever your reason, you’re in the right place.

Freestyle (also called front crawl) is the fastest and most efficient swimming stroke - and the good news? It’s totally learnable. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the basics, common mistakes, and pro tips to help you swim freestyle like a boss - without gasping for air every two strokes.

Step 1: Get the Basics Down

Before you start splashing around, you need to master the core technique. Freestyle is all about body position, arm strokes, kicking, and breathing.   Allow me to break it down and explain.

1.1 Stay Streamlined: Your Body Position

How you position your body in the water makes a huge difference in how fast and smooth you swim.

• Keep your body flat and horizontal - imagine you’re floating like a plank, not a banana.
• Engage your core muscles to stay balanced (yes, your abs are involved!).
• Keep your head in line with your spine - looking too far forward creates drag, and we don’t want that.

💡 Mark's Tip: 'Over the years, I've had many pupils say that they feel like they are not getting very far despite the effort they are putting into their leg kicks. More often than not, it is because their legs sink. If your legs sink, check your head position, as it may be too high. Aim to look down and slightly forward in the water to help keep your hips up!'

Click here for more about freestyle body position.

1.2 Kick To Balance Your Stroke

Your legs should balance your arm movements, not just splash around. Here’s how to kick properly:

• Kick from your hips, not your knees—think small, quick flutter kicks.
• Keep your legs straight but relaxed (a slight knee bend is fine).
• Don’t go wild—overkicking will tire you out fast.

💡 Mark's Tip: 'So often, I see swimmers kicking with almost robot-like legs. They kick from the hips, which is the correct technique, but with legs so stiff and rigid, they are not really getting anywhere fast! Relax your knees and ankles and kick with a smooth, rhythmic action. Kick like your feet are fins.'

Click here for more on freestyle kick technique.

1.3 Stroke Like a Pro: Smooth Arm Movements

Arm technique when learning how to swim freestyle is all about long, efficient strokes - you don’t want to flail around like a windmill.

1. Reach – Extend your arm forward as far as possible before it enters the water.
2. Catch – Bend your elbow slightly and pull the water backward (not downward).
3. Push – Use your forearm and hand to push the water past your hip for maximum speed.
4. Recovery – Lift your elbow out of the water first, then bring your hand forward relaxed (not stiff!).

💡 Mark's Tip: 'Keep your fingertips slightly apart—this helps grab more water without straining your hands.'

For more on freestyle arm technique, click here. 

1.4 Breathe Without Exhaustion

Breathing is where most beginners struggle. If you get tired quickly, chances are, you’re not breathing efficiently. Here’s how to fix that:

• Exhale underwater so you don’t waste time gasping for air.
• Roll your head to the side (not up!) when your arm is about to exit the water.
• Keep one goggle in the water while breathing - this keeps your body balanced.

💡 Mark's Tip: 'If you’re learing how to swim freestyle and struggling with finding a breathing pattern that feels comfortable, try bilateral breathing (breathing on both sides). It keeps your stroke even and prevents sore necks.'

Click here for more on freestyle breathing technique.

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HOW TO SWIM FRONT CRAWL EBOOK:  everything you need to master front crawl swimming stroke. 22 easy drills that focus on each part of front crawl technique. From body position to breathing and timing. Decades of teaching experience all packaged into 1 easy file. Download to your device and master front crawl TODAY! (click here for an instant preview). 

Don't miss out!  Click here for more details on how to get your copy. 

Step 2: Master Freestyle Technique with These Drills

Body Position Drills

✅ Push-and-Glide: Push off the wall, extend your arms forward, and glide as far as you can. This helps you feel what a streamlined body position should be like.

✅ Superman Drill: Kick with one arm extended and the other by your side. This helps fix balance issues.

Click here for My Tips on performing a push and glide and fine-tuning your body position.

Kicking Drills

✅ Kickboard Kicking: Grab a kickboard and practice kicking only to build leg strength.

✅ Vertical Kicking: Tread water without using your arms. This helps you learn how to kick from your hips.

Click here for My Tips to improve freestyle leg kick by kicking whilst holding a kickboard.

Arm Efficiency Drills

✅ Catch-Up Drill: Keep one arm extended in front until the other one catches up. This slows down your stroke and helps you focus on good technique.

✅ Fingertip Drag Drill: Drag your fingertips along the water as you recover your arm. This forces a high-elbow recovery (which is what you want!).

Click here for My Tips on how to perform a single-arm pull drill to improve your freestyle arm technique.

Breathing Drills

✅ Side-Kick Drill: Kick on your side while practising turning your head for a breath.

✅ Bubble-Bubble-Breathe: Blow bubbles twice (exhale fully) before taking a quick inhale. This reinforces a steady breathing rhythm.

Click here for MY Tips and more in-depth details about freestyle breathing.

Step 3: Avoid These Common Mistakes

Even experienced swimmers mess up their freestyle technique. Here are the biggest mistakes (and how to fix them):

Step 4: Want to Swim Faster? Try These Advanced Tips

Once you have the basics, it's time to level up.

4.1 Lengthen Your Stroke

• Instead of taking a bunch of short strokes, focus on long, powerful pulls.
• Rotate your torso (not just your arms) to extend your reach.

4.2 Optimize Your Kick

• Instead of wasting energy on a huge splash, keep controlled, consistent flutter kicks.
• Use your core and glutes to kick—not just your lower legs.

4.3 Fine-Tune Your Breathing

• Practice breathing every 3 strokes (instead of every 2) to build lung capacity.
• Make sure you exhale fully underwater before turning to breathe.

Step 5: A Simple 4-Week Training Plan

Want to see real improvement? Follow this easy plan:

Week 1: Basics

• 4 x 25m freestyle focusing on body position.
• 4 x 25m fingertip drag drill.
• 4 x 25m practising relaxed breathing.

Week 2: Improve Technique

• 4 x 50m freestyle catch-up drill.
• 4 x 50m freestyle side-kick drill.
• 4 x 25m freestyle gradually increasing speed.

Week 3: Build Endurance

• 4 x 100m freestyle, focusing on stroke efficiency.
• 4 x 50m freestyle bilateral breathing.
• 4 x 25m sprint finishes.

Week 4: Swim Like a Pro

• 4 x 100m freestyle, reducing stroke count per lap.
• 4 x 50m freestyle with negative splits (second half faster).
• 4 x 25m freestyle all-out effort.

How To Swim Freestyle - The Complete Ebook

The complete set of basic drills covering the whole stroke is available to download in my very popular eBook 'How To Swim Front Crawl'.  Simple theory written in easy-to-understand language and fully illustrated to show exactly what each part of your body should be doing.  Packed with the best freestyle swimming technique tips.  Click here for an INSTANT PREVIEW, or click ADD TO CART to download your copy. 

How To Swim Front Crawl

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Final Thoughts: Dive In and Have Fun!

Freestyle swimming is one of those skills that gets easier the more you do it. Keep practising, focus on good technique, and don't stress about getting everything perfect overnight.

Want extra help with learning how to swim freestyle or any of the other basic strokes in swimming? Check out these resources:

• 📺  My YouTube Channel: Swim Teach YouTube
• 📚 My Best-Selling Swimming Books

Real Problems and My Solutions from Others Learning How To Swim Freestyle

I have trouble with freestyle breathing on the left side and started breathing every 4th stroke just on the right side. 'Breathing every third stroke is usually the ideal pattern to start with, and then swimmers usually switch to breathing every stroke over a long distance.'

Whenever I swim, I get water up my nose swimming freestyle. 'Wearing a nose clip is a short-term solution to your problem, and it may help, but it may not solve it in the long run. There is no reason you cannot learn to breathe correctly without the use of a nose clip.'

My legs sink when breathing for freestyle. 'Freestyle breathing techniques can be frustrating sometimes, and sinking legs can be a very common occurrence when you're first learning.'

Why am I sinking when I start rotating my arms? 'There are a few reasons why you might start to sink as you begin your arm action during freestyle swimming.'

I can swim freestyle, but my face is still in the water when I try to breathe on my side. 'It could be as simple as your head being too deep in the water. Have someone check your body position to see if firstly you are flat and horizontal and secondly how deep your head is.'

Frustrated with your freestyle swim stroke technique? Maybe swimming freestyle is something you always wanted to be able to perform but never really tried.

I need some freestyle breathing technique tips. 'Firstly, ensure you are breathing out into the water and not holding your breath. Breath-holding makes swimming very difficult, and many people swim holding their breath and do not realise they are doing it.'