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Writer's pictureSarah Wiseman

Front Crawl - Top Tips for Beginners

Just starting out swimming? Here are my top tips for getting started with front crawl technique!

Practise your Breathing: Breathing is key to a successful stroke, the more time you spend practising this skill the better! Learning to breathe in front crawl is much more challenging than any other stroke due to your face being in the water at all times. The key is to relax and focus on exhaling into the water.

  1. Start with standing in the water taking relaxed breaths in and out

  2. Move on to relaxed breathing with chin on the water and exhaling to make bubbles on the surface

  3. Next inhale with your chin on the water and exhale slowly putting your face under the water

Repeat until you feel comfortable!

Practise your Body Position: Getting into a good body position in the water is another important part of front crawl swimming! You want to be a streamlined to the surface of the water as possible!

  1. Start with your feet on the bottom and shoulders under the water with your chin on the surface

  2. Take a relaxed inhale

  3. As you begin to exhale, gently lean forwards and lower your head into the water

  4. Allow your body to float up to the surface

  5. Remember to relax!

Repeat until you feel comfortable!

Practise your Streamlining: Streamlining is key to getting a good body position and rotation through the water!

  1. You want your body to feel as long as possible

  2. Legs together and arm lengthened above your head

  3. Arms should be gently pressing around your ears

  4. Remember to relax!

Repeat until you feel comfortable!

Streamline pushing and gliding: This is the next step to take after you have mastered your breathing, body position and streamlining!

  1. You want your body to feel as long as possible

  2. Legs together and arm lengthened above your head

  3. Arms should be gently pressing around your ears

  4. Your eyes should be looking downwards

  5. Try to lengthen through the back of your neck as though you are a puppet on a string

  6. Remember to relax!

Repeat until you feel comfortable!


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