Among the many swimming styles, freestyle is the most common and efficient one. So, how do you make your freestyle swim faster?This requires us to master some key skills and avoid common mistakes.
1. Reduce resistance.
Reducing resistance is the key to increasing your swimming speed. In freestyle, an effective kick not only provides some propulsion, but also maintains a good body position and avoids sinking. In addition, maintaining a streamlined body posture is also key to reducing resistance.
2. Increase propulsion.
Increasing propulsion is an important factor in increasing swimming speed. In freestyle, the paddling action is the main thing that creates propulsion. Here are some tips to increase propulsion:
Aerial arm shifter
There are two types of techniques: elbow lift arm transfer and straight arm transfer. When lifting the elbow and moving the arm, the elbow needs to be higher than the palm of the hand all the way, and pay attention to the coordination of the shoulder turn.
If the shoulders do not rotate upward, it is difficult to complete the elbow lift and the palms of the hands are difficult to get out of the water.
Straight arm moves also require flexible shoulder rotation. During the arm transfer, the arm should be as relaxed as possible, which can save physical exertion.
Reach forward into the water
Once the palm of the hand is in the water, the arm should be actively extended forward while the shoulder is sent forward.
During the forward extension, the palms and shoulders should be stretched forward close to the water.
Avoid pressing the water down on your arm, which will increase the resistance unnecessarily.
At the same time, keep the arm between the central axis and the shoulder extension line during the forward extension to reduce resistance.
Paddle underwater
Underwater strokes are the main ones that create propulsion.
The lower arm first holds the water backwards to form a resistance surface, and the lower arm pushes backwards at the same time.
Avoid bending your wrist excessively while holding water.
Feel the resistance of the water and use this resistance to reverse the propulsion force and move the body forward.
Be careful not to slip your elbows to avoid losing the resistance surface and propulsion.
Accelerate the force during the pushing process.
Throughout the underwater stroke, the palm of the hand is pushed to the end of the thigh, and then the elbow is raised and the arm is moved.
Push the water backwards as far back as possible to avoid unstretched movements or reduced propulsion.
3. Avoid common mistakes.
There are some common mistakes to be aware of when paddling in your strokes.
First of all, the complete paddling movement needs to be combined with the shoulder rotation, and only when the shoulders are flexibly rotated, each part of the paddling can be done more perfectly.
Secondly, it is also very important to keep your head stable. Regardless of whether you are ventilating or not, you must not shake your head from side to side, and you must look at the bottom of the pool as you swim in.
Attention to detail in these details will make your freestyle smoother and more efficient.