Looking to improve your front crawl technique? Read on for some top tips for a smoother stroke:
Streamline pushing and gliding with leg kick: This is the next step to take after you have mastered your initial breathing, body position and streamlining!
You want your body to feel as long as possible
Legs together and arm lengthened above your head and your arms should be gently pressing around your ears
Your eyes should be looking downwards and try to lengthen through the back of your neck as though you are a puppet on a string
Gently kick your legs, try to initiate the kick from your hips
Remember to relax!
Repeat until you feel comfortable!
Practise your Breathing: Breathing is key to a successful stroke, and one of the more important parts of swimming front crawl. The more time you spend practising this skill the better!
Start with relaxed breaths in and out
Move on to adding this practice into the technique above
The key is to relax and focus on exhaling into the water.
Repeat until you feel comfortable!
Some basic swimming drills to follow on from the above tips
Superman side kicking
Lie on your side with one arm out in front and the other along your side
Add your leg kick
Switch sides
Six kicks one pull (6-1-6)
Start in your superman side kicking position
Do six kicks followed by one arm pull to rotate to the other side (if you struggle to count your leg kicks - simply count to 6 in your head)
Repeat
