Tips for Improving Your Freestyle Stroke This Winter

Winter is the perfect time of year to work on your swimming technique and break down the mechanics of your freestyle stroke. Swimmers know there is always something to work on that can help them become faster, more efficient, and stronger in the water. If this is your off-season, it’s a great opportunity to work on some of the basics, so when you’re ready to start training again you can go in with more confidence. You might also need to add some training equipment to your workouts, so be sure to look at gear from the top online swim shops. Here are some tips to focus on improving your freestyle stroke.

Water Weights

Head Position

Body position is one of the most important elements of efficient swimming. Your body should be parallel (in a straight line) to the water. You should feel relaxed through the neck and shoulders and the upper body shouldn’t come up too high out of the water. You don’t want your lower half sinking either. It’s a balance.

The position of your head is what determines the rest of your body. In the most efficient freestyle stroke form, your head will be parallel to the water. Even when you take a breath to the side, you shouldn’t be lifting your head out of the water at all. Try to think less about lifting your head, and more about turning your head 90 degrees. Only part of your face should come out of the water. The lower goggle lens will actually stay underwater as you breathe.

Body Rotation

With each stroke, your body rotates slightly to one side at the shoulders, torso, and hips. Proper freestyle requires they all turn in a single motion while your head stays forward, looking at a 45-degree angle until you take a breath. You rotate your head along with your body to take a breath and rotate your head back with your body in a smooth motion. There should be no pauses in the stroke.

Practice doing drills to help improve your body position and rotation. There are all kinds of drills that can help, including kicking drills with swim fins and a kickboard. A kicking drill will help you stay streamlined and time your breathing perfectly while rotating. You will hold the kickboard with your extended arm and the other arm remains at your side. You roll your body to the side and take a breath, Then roll your body back into a flat position, all without interrupting your kick.

 Forward Reach

Fingertips enter the water first, followed by your wrist and elbow. Your hand will enter the water above your shoulder, not in front of your head. Make sure you reach far enough forward by extending your arm out without crossing the center of your body line. As soon as your hand enters the water, which will be about 15 inches, you will then reach forward even more underwater before you start pulling. Be sure to keep your elbow slightly bent as you reach in front of your body.

While there are plenty of drills and exercises available to help improve your freestyle stroke, the most important thing you can do is get into the water and practice. This off-season make time in the water a priority, and you’ll see the rewards in no time.

 About Kiefer Swim Shops

 Kiefer Swim Shops is among the leaders in swim gear, swimwear, and pool and aquatic equipment. Kiefer Swim Shops offers competitive and recreational swimmers, lifeguards, and aquatic facilities throughout the U.S. a wide selection of high-quality products. Shop for everything from swimsuits, caps, and goggles to training gear, water weights, lifeguard gear, pool equipment, and much more. As a best-value brand, make Kiefer Swim Shops your number-one swimming source. Kiefer Swim Shops makes it a priority to offer quality, durable, comfortable, and safe products, which is why they are a top-rated brand.

 Get all of your swimming gear for the winter from Kiefer Swim Shops online at Kiefer.com


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Improve Your Competitive Swimming with the Following Tips

Image
Have you ever wondered why some swimmers seem to have a natural ability? They probably weren’t born with dolphin-like qualities, but it’s possible they swam in a club setting or on a swim team at some point in their lives, honing their skills over time. Water Weights Although pools in your area may not be open for club swimming at this time, you can still improve your competitive swimming skills if you have access to a pool. Here are five reasons to work on mastering your competitive swimming in 2021. Get Faster You may feel a bigger competitive push when you swim with others, but you can impact your speed if you are consistent with your solo training throughout the year. When you have an opportunity to join a club in the future—like a local U.S. Masters Swimming club or another unaffiliated organization—you can work out with other swimmers who are at a similar pace and can push your growth. Learn Better Technique When you commit to swimming two or three times a week,
Read more

5 Reasons All Athletes Should Try Aquatic Exercise

Image
If you work hard in the gym or out on the running track, you might not consider swimming or aquatic therapy to mix up your workouts. Aquatic therapy and underwater workouts aren’t just for people with injuries or seniors (although it’s great for them too), they also make great workouts for any athlete to try. Whether you’re a powerlifter, a runner, or just want to be as healthy as you can be, here are five reasons to try aquatic exercise. Swim Fins It’s Low Impact While good for your cardiovascular health, running on pavement can take a toll on your joints over time. The constant pounding isn’t doing your feet, knees, or hips any favors, and the stress on your joints and spine can add up over time. Aquatic therapy, on the other hand, is a relatively low-impact form of exercise compared to others. With the water providing buoyancy, you can run, move, and swim with relative ease without feeling beaten down by the end of the workout. If you’ve been taking time off from your running regime
Read more

3 Tips to Help Improve Your Swimming in 2021

Image
Whether you’re new to swimming or just jumping back in, you can feel good knowing that swimming is regarded as a reliable way to get in shape. It’s gentle on the joints and can burn calories, build strength and endurance, and improve your heart and lung capacity. There’s not much more you can ask for in a workout. If you’re considering swimming as one of your goals for 2021, take a look at these detailed tips to make the most of your workout. Swim Fins  Boost Endurance and Strength with Sets/Interval Work Swimming may be a low-impact activity, but don’t underestimate its potential to help your physical condition. Whether you swim for 30 minutes or a solid hour, when you make the most of your workouts every time you get in the pool, you can develop the endurance it takes to swim 500 or 1,000 yards without stopping. In the process, you can also focus on your stamina as well as the strength in your legs, arms, back, and abs. Don’t get discouraged if you can only swim 50 yards
Read more