Freestyle Swimming Technique: 8 Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Most swimmers who come to me for stroke correction are not short of fitness. They train hard, sometimes four or five times a week, and their times still stop moving. When I watch them swim freestyle, the reason is usually not one big problem. It's a few small habits that add drag or waste effort on every stroke, repeated thousands of times a session.

This guide covers the freestyle mistakes I look for first, why each one costs speed, and a simple fix you can try at your next session. It is written for parents of young competitive swimmers and for teenage and adult swimmers who want a cleaner, faster front crawl. It doesn't replace someone watching you in the water, but it will help you know what to look for.

Why freestyle technique matters more than extra laps

Water is much denser than air, so the shape your body makes in the water matters a lot. U.S. Masters Swimming puts it simply in its guide to freestyle body position: your body needs to be as straight as possible from head to toe to minimise drag. A swimmer who fixes their body line and catch can often swim the same pace with less effort, and that's where the "free" seconds come from.

More laps with the same faults mostly make the faults stronger. That's why I start with technique, then build speed and race skills on top of it.

1. Lifting the head to look forward

What it looks like: the swimmer looks at the end of the pool, so the water line sits at the forehead or eyebrows instead of the top of the head.

Why it costs speed: when the head comes up, the hips and legs drop. USMS describes the body as a seesaw balanced on the lungs: because the hips and legs carry more mass, that end sinks unless you work against it. Lifting the head pushes the light end up and makes the problem worse.

The fix: look down and slightly forward at the bottom of the pool, with the back of the neck long. Gently press the chest into the water. Use the black line on the pool floor, not the wall, to stay straight.

Drill to try: kick on your front with arms extended (no board) and practise pressing the chest down until you feel the hips rise.

2. Sinking hips and legs

What it looks like: from the side, the body is angled like a ramp, with the legs well below the surface.

Why it costs speed: a sloped body pushes a much bigger "wall" of water in front of it.

The fix: head position (above) is the first step. Some swimmers also need to switch on their core and glutes to hold the hips up, as the USMS guide explains. Every swimmer floats differently, so the right amount of chest press and core tension is something we find together in the water.

3. Arms crossing the centre line

What it looks like: the hand enters the water in front of the head or past the nose, instead of in line with the shoulder.

Why it costs speed: crossing over makes the body snake from side to side, so the swimmer travels a longer, wobblier path. It can also put strain on the shoulder over time.

The fix: aim each hand to enter in line with its own shoulder, as if you were swimming on two railway tracks, not a tightrope.

Drill to try: catch-up freestyle, where one hand waits in front until the other arrives. It slows the stroke down enough for you to check where each hand enters.

4. A dropped elbow in the catch

What it looks like: at the start of the pull, the elbow drops and the hand and forearm slide backwards with the fingers pointing forward or the palm facing down at the floor too long.

Why it costs speed: you only move forward by pushing water backwards. With a dropped elbow, the hand slips through the water and holds very little of it.

The fix: after the hand enters and extends, tip the fingertips down and bend at the elbow so the forearm and hand face backwards early, with the elbow staying higher than the hand. Think of reaching over a barrel.

Drill to try: sculling with the forearms in front of the head, focusing on feeling pressure on the palm and forearm.

5. Breathing too late, too high, or holding the breath

What it looks like: the swimmer lifts the whole head forward or up to breathe, rushes the breath, or holds their breath underwater and then gasps.

Why it costs speed: lifting the head to breathe sinks the hips (mistake 1 again), and a held breath leaves the swimmer tense and short of air by the end of the lap.

The fix: breathe out steadily through the nose and mouth while the face is in the water, so you only need to breathe in when you turn. Turn the head with the body's rotation, keeping one goggle in the water, rather than lifting it.

Drill to try: side kicking with one arm extended, rotating the face to breathe and back down without lifting.

6. Swimming flat with no rotation

What it looks like: the shoulders stay flat on the water, so the swimmer has to swing the arms around the side and lift the head more to breathe.

Why it costs speed: good freestyle rotates around the long axis of the body from the hips and shoulders together. Rotation helps the arm recover easily, makes breathing simpler and lets the bigger back muscles help with the pull.

The fix: let the hips and shoulders rotate together as each arm finishes its pull, while the head stays still except when breathing. Rotate, but don't roll right onto your side and stop.

7. Kicking from the knees

What it looks like: a big, bicycle-style knee bend, with feet splashing far above the water or stiff, flexed ankles.

Why it costs speed: a bent-knee kick creates drag and gives little propulsion. In its four keys for a powerful freestyle kick, USMS notes that propulsion comes from the top of the feet, that the kick should start from the core and hips, and that the knee bend should stay moderate (about 120 degrees, similar to walking).

The fix: kick from the hips with relaxed, pointed ankles, keep the kick fairly narrow, and let the feet just break the surface.

Drill to try: kicking on your back with arms by your sides, watching that the knees don't pop out of the water.

8. Stopping at the front or rushing the stroke

What it looks like: either a long pause with both arms out front ("dead spot"), or very fast, short strokes that never fully finish behind the hip.

Why it costs speed: a long pause loses momentum on every stroke. A rushed stroke that skips the finish throws away part of the pull. Both show up clearly in race splits as the swimmer tires.

The fix: finish each pull past the hip, then recover. The right rhythm depends on the event and the swimmer: a 50m sprint and a 400m have different tempos. This is where counting strokes per length and timing each length is very useful.

How to check your own freestyle

• Film it. Ask a parent or teammate to record you from the side and from the end of the lane (check your pool's rules on filming first). Many faults are obvious on video even when you can't feel them.
• Count your strokes. Count arm strokes per 25m at an easy pace. If the count drops while your time stays the same, your stroke is becoming more efficient.
• Fix one thing at a time. Trying to change head, kick and catch together usually means none of them sticks. Pick one cue per session.
• Go slower to go faster. Practise the new habit at an easy pace first, then hold it as the pace rises.

When to get help with stroke correction

Some faults are easy to fix on your own. Others need a coach in the water, because what a swimmer feels and what is actually happening are often different. It may be time for a coach if:

• Times have stayed flat for a few months even though training is steady
• The stroke falls apart in the second half of races
• There is shoulder discomfort when swimming freestyle (see a doctor or physiotherapist first if there is pain)
• A swimmer is preparing for squad trials or a target time and needs every second

In my 1-to-1 stroke correction sessions, I watch the stroke, find the biggest leak and give the swimmer simple cues they can take back to squad training. I get into the water to correct swimmers when it helps them feel the change. Private sessions work alongside club or school training, not instead of it. For swimmers working towards race times, my competitive swimming coaching and squad and upgrading preparation pages explain how I plan around a target.

As an example of what focused stroke work can do, one swimmer I train privately went from 3:42.66 to 3:07 in the 200m freestyle in about five months, with one session a week alongside club training. The breakdown is on my results page. Every swimmer is different, and no coach can promise a time.

I'm a former SEA Games athlete and an NROC-registered coach (more about me). I coach mostly at Delta Swimming Complex and Queenstown Swimming Complex, or at your condo pool. If you'd like me to look at your or your child's freestyle, WhatsApp me at 8658 5866.

Sources

• Freestyle Body Position and Rotation, U.S. Masters Swimming
• Four Keys for a Powerful Freestyle Kick, U.S. Masters Swimming (Abbie Fish, 2026)