If your freestyle catch feels weak or your hand slips through the water without grabbing anything, the fist drill is one of the fastest ways to fix it. Swum by everyone from age-group swimmers to Masters and triathletes, it’s a staple in pool workouts precisely because it forces your body to find a better catch … [Read More…]
If you’ve stood poolside during swim lessons and heard a coach shouting a beat out loud — “1-2-3-4” or “1-2-3, 1-2-3” — you’ve run into the world of kick counting. Coaches use terms like “4-count kick,” “4-beat kick,” and “6-beat kick” somewhat interchangeably, which is exactly why parents get confused about what their child is … [Read More…]
Most young swimmers don’t get slower because they aren’t working hard enough — they get slower because a small technique leak is quietly adding drag or wasting energy every single stroke. A high head, a crossed-over hand entry, or a kick that comes from the knee instead of the hip can cost tenths of a … [Read More…]
If your freestyle feels rushed, choppy, or like your arms are fighting each other instead of working together, the catch-up drill is one of the fastest fixes a coach can hand you. It slows the stroke down on purpose so you can feel exactly what each arm is doing at every phase, instead of blasting … [Read More…]
Most new swimmers quit not because they lack fitness, but because they try to swim continuously the way they’d run or bike, and gas out after 25 yards. Swimming endurance is built differently: in short, repeatable intervals with just enough rest to keep your form together, gradually stretching the work while shrinking the rest. This … [Read More…]
A pull buoy is one of the simplest tools in the pool bag, but most swimmers use it wrong — they let it turn easy laps into a leg-rest lap instead of a technique workout. Squeezed between the thighs, it floats your legs so your kick drops out of the equation, leaving nothing to hide … [Read More…]
If your legs feel like an anchor in freestyle, the problem almost never starts at your legs. It starts at your head. Sinking hips are one of the most common issues beginner swimmers deal with, and they make every stroke feel harder than it should, since dragging legs create drag that no amount of arm … [Read More…]
If your freestyle feels like you’re working hard but not going anywhere, the culprit is almost always the catch — specifically, a dropped elbow during the underwater pull. The high elbow catch (also called the Early Vertical Forearm, or EVF) is the single most impactful technique fix available to recreational and competitive swimmers alike, and … [Read More…]
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