How to improve your front crawl: four simple technique fixes

Master the fundamentals of front crawl in four weeks – with quick wins you can try in your very next swim, by Rebecca Wetten, Co-Founder and Head Coach at Catch

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Whether you’re training for your first open water event or looking to swim faster & more efficiently, front crawl technique is the biggest game-changer. Not fitness. Not strength. Technique.

Catch has teamed up with Outdoor Swimmer Magazine to bring you Silky Front Crawl: 4 Weeks of Quick Wins. Each week, Rebecca shared one simple technique tweak you can try in your very next swim.

Here’s the full series.

Episode 1: Trickle Breathing – the key to relaxed breathing in front crawl

If you feel out of breath during front crawl, you’re probably holding your breath underwater without realising it. This is one of the most common mistakes swimmers make – & one of the easiest to fix.

The fix is trickle breathing: a slow, steady exhale underwater that keeps your lungs relaxed & ready to breathe in the moment you turn your head.

Try this in your next swim:

• Exhale gently underwater through your nose, or nose & mouth
• Think of your lungs as a balloon slowly deflating
• Turn your head to breathe in, return to the water & repeat

Episode 2: Body Position & Kick – the foundation that makes everything else feel easier

Body position & kick are the fundamentals that go too often ignored. Get these right & every other aspect of your front crawl starts to feel easier.

The key is a flutter kick – small & compact. Its job isn’t to power you through the water; it’s to keep your legs high & your body balanced. Most swimmers kick too hard, which drains energy without adding much speed.

Try this in your next swim:

• Keep your legs high with a small, fast flutter kick
• Floppy ankles – think flippers, not feet
• Don’t kick too hard – your kick’s job is balance, not speed

Episode 3: The BBQ Sausage Trick – fix your breathing & find your rhythm

This is the tip Catch swimmers can’t stop talking about. When we turn our head to breathe in front crawl, we want the movement to be as quick & efficient as possible. A common mistake is turning the head too far, or lifting it up – which throws off the whole rhythm of your swimming.

The fix? Imagine a BBQ skewer running through the centre of your head & body. Rotate along that line – to the side, not up towards the sky.

Try this in your next swim:

• Rotate your head to the side, not up – you should be looking sideways, not at the ceiling
• Glide your hand forwards as you breathe to create space for the roll
• Eyes to the side – if you can see the sky, you’ve gone too far

Episode 4: The Catch – how to get more power from every stroke

The catch is the number 1 way to build more power into your front crawl for less effort. It’s the moment when your hand & forearm anchor the water & begin to pull – & most swimmers are doing it in a way that leaks speed & power.

The fix is to use your entire forearm & hand as a paddle, not just your hand. By keeping your elbow high & bending your arm at a right angle, you catch significantly more water with every single stroke.

Try this in your next swim:

• Use your hand & forearm as a paddle, not just your hand
• Keep your elbow high, close to the surface of the water
• Pull your hand through close to your body – aim for a right angle at the elbow

Want to keep improving your front crawl?

Catch is a digital swim coaching app that gives you a personalised training plan, technique video course, sportswatch guidance & 1:1 coach chat with Rebecca. Swimmers on Catch Gold get, on average, 15% faster in 8 weeks.

Get started free

Use the code OUTDOORSWIMMER for a 30-day free trial of Catch Gold, then £5 off for your first 3 months.

Silky Front Crawl: 4 Weeks of Quick Wins is a paid partnership between Catch & Outdoor Swimmer Magazine.