Tips for Improving Your Swimming Technique

With these simple tips, you can significantly increase your skills under the water. Patience and practice will, of course, be an essential component.
Tips for Improving Your Swimming Technique

Last update: 14 November, 2019

No matter how hard people train, it can be very difficult for them to improve their swimming technique and speed. Improving your technique will translate into a more stylized and aesthetic swim. But that’s not all. Improvements will also make the process more efficient and comfortable for the swimmer.

The best advice for improving your swimming technique

Increase the number of days you train

In order to improve your swimming technique, the best advice is to begin with two training days each week. Afterwards, you should gradually increase this to five training days per week.

You should not train for more than five days each week. While swimming is a very beneficial activity, it’s also very tiring. It’s important for you to remember that muscles need a reasonable amount of time to recover.

swimming technique cap

Separate the movement of your strokes

One of the most important tips for you to follow is to separate the movement of your strokes. You should also concentrate completely and specifically on each movement that you make.

How can you separate the movements? You should concentrate and define the various stages of the swim. For example, the first stage immediately begins when your hand enters the water. Another stage is your breathing technique, then the stroke, and finally your arm movements.

Spread your arms apart

Spreading your arms apart is one of the best ways to improve your swimming technique. There are different exercises that can help you to improve this skill. Your objective will be to improve propulsion. For this to happen, you have to keep your arms open, when the hand that’s pushing through the water is positioned or pointed toward the lower part of your body.

Keep your elbows high

It’s important for you to hold your elbows high, when you perform the swimming style known as, “crawl”. You have to combine this position with a strong focus on your breathing. You should also keep your head in the same position without trying to move it. When you keep your elbows high, it helps you to push the water away from you far quicker. This, in turn, leads to more momentum with each stroke.

Tips for improving your swimming technique

The secret of breathing

As time passes, you will start to master the areas that would worry you when you were a novice swimmer. This also applies to your breathing. Nevertheless, you will find that it often takes a lot of effort for you to adapt to a breathing technique to attain the perfect rhythm.

The fact of the matter is that breathing is something very personal. As such, every swimmer has to uncover his own rhythm. Experts suggest that you concentrate and remember to breathe for every three strokes.

swimming technique breathing
Mistakes can be avoided when you constantly expel air from your lungs. This will allow you to take advantage of the movement of your body each time you breathe in.

Avoid overloading the body

It’s important for the swimmer not to overload his or her body with exhausting exercises. You should train in a way that’s, smart and uses a good swimming technique. This means that you shouldn’t begin a swimming session when you are tired or after participating in other sports or exercises. This includes cycling and running, for example.

Hold your head in place

Some variables are fundamental when you work on the different swimming styles, such as the crawl or the backstroke. This is also the case with holding your head in place. It’s the body that has to make the turns using the hips,and not the other way around. 

In the case of the crawl, line up the shoulders with the rest of the body. This will not only help you to get a better and more effective momentum, but it will also reduce your chances of injury.

Speed up your hand when it’s underwater

In order to have better momentum, one of the best tips that we can give you is to increase the speed of your hand once it’s made contact with the water. The motion should start off at a low speed. It should then increase in intensity until you achieve a high amount of pressure.

swimming technique diving

The freestyle kick

In freestyle swimming, the kick is essential for achieving your objectives with a swimming technique. You should generate this kick in a powerful way from the hips and not from the knees. Avoid bending your knees to an excessive degree. Aside from injuries, this also causes more resistance from the water and reduces the swimmer’s speed.

By following these simple tips, it’s possible that you’ll quickly be able to improve your swimming technique. Although, ultimately, experts consider swimming to be one of the most demanding and comprehensive sports.

Whether you swim professionally or as a hobby, swimming is an activity that requires commitment. It also requires consistency and a lot of patience. With the correct advice and a commitment to perfecting your technique, you will be able to reach your goals in no time.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.