Are your drained after swimming front crawl?
Do you find yourself gasping for breath and feeling drained while swimming the front crawl? Ever watch other swimmers effortlessly glide past you, while you’re putting in all that effort? Or maybe you’re a triathlete who can run and bike for miles but struggles to knock out just a few lengths of front crawl?
Let’s dive into a key aspect of front crawl, along with some simple yet effective tips that can elevate your swimming game!
Front Crawl Arm Timing
An easy and efficient stroke often hinges on the timing of your arm movements. It might sound strange, but sometimes you need to slow down to swim faster. On land, if you want to run faster, you generally push harder and get those legs moving quicker. However, water isn’t quite the same playground.
When swimmers try to up their speed by flailing their arms faster, they often create splashes, turbulence, and drag that actually slow them down. It feels counterintuitive, but using less force and allowing your arms to glide slowly can lead to quicker swimming.
The core principle to grasp here is mastering the timing of your arm cycle and catch. Many swimmers get caught up in how fast they can pull and catch the water, which leads to increased drag and splashes. Instead of rushing, strive to maintain a streamlined position and return to it efficiently.
As your arm enters the water, resist the urge to immediately go for the catch. Instead, let it slide forward, gliding for a moment to maintain that streamlined form. This forward motion not only provides balance but also supports you until your recovering arm enters the water, at which point the catch happens.
Five Tips to Help
Here are some focal points to help you nail this skill:
- Extend your lead arm until you feel the forearm of the entering arm get wet. Remember, the catch occurs only after the recovering arm has entered the water.
- Notice the moment when the lead arm is still before you initiate the catch. Challenge yourself to lengthen this moment—what happens if you extend it too long?
- Focus on the recovering arm moving forward and past the lead arm. Let the catch happen naturally—no need to yank it back.
- Emphasize entering the water and sending energy forward rather than fixating on the catch and pulling backward.
- Keep that recovering arm moving smoothly, avoiding any dead spots or pauses. Even though the lead arm is still, the recovering arm needs to keep moving.
Front Quadrant Swimming
These practices will position both arms in front of your head, a technique known as “front quadrant swimming.” This position fosters a balanced horizontal alignment, helping lift your legs by counterbalancing their weight.
Holding the lead arm out longer also promotes a streamlined position, making swimming feel easier. Plus, it contributes to a longer stroke, allowing you to cover more distance with each arm cycle while reducing the number of strokes you take without extra effort.
Swim Slower to Swim Faster
You might occasionally feel like you’re swimming slower, but remember: the speed of your arms doesn’t necessarily reflect how fast you’re moving through the water.
It’s easy to overcompensate in different areas of the front crawl. When learning a new skill, it can feel so satisfying that you might end up overdoing it—like rotating too much. However, with arm timing, it’s less common to be overly patient because our bodies and brains are wired for continuous motion on land.
While it is possible to overcompensate, it’s rare; I might meet only one swimmer a year who struggles with this. More often, you’ll need to remind yourself that swimming is different from land movement every time you hit the pool, so check in on your arm timing regularly. Happy swimming!
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