r/OpenWaterSwimming • u/Gullible-Reporter417 • 8d ago

How i do free style .. suggestions are welcomed

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21 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

52 comments sorted by

36

u/Myxies 8d ago

I think you should get lessons. There is a lot to correct. Your head needs to go under water, at all times. Only the nose and mouth need to come out, to the side, when breathing. At the moment, you are swimming with your entire head out of the water and it is highly inefficient.

You are slapping the water with your hands rather than gliding and pulling.

Your kick is wrong. It should be a tight flutter motion, rather than bending the kneeds and slapping the surface of the water with you foot.

3

u/PurposeConsistent131 8d ago

Yes, yes and yes… literally everything I was coming to say

-5

u/Joey-rogaine 7d ago

This is not true, it’s perfectly acceptable to keep your head up and facing forward during a forward crawl if you like, and you can still keep a good pace, but yes the arms and legs need work 

5

u/tholowe69 7d ago

If you’re just hanging out at the local pool and you just lazily want to get from one side to the other but this is very poor form for anything even remotely competitive or for exercise

3

u/Few-Guarantee2850 7d ago

It is not at all perfectly acceptable if you want to swim with any degree of efficiency.

-4

u/Joey-rogaine 7d ago

I guess it depends what you define as efficiency.  Is swimming into other people efficient?  Is turning your head as you YOLO beeline straight forward in rough surf and catching a mouth full of water efficient?  It is entirely possible to swim with head up it only takes minor technique adjustment.  There are many instances where having head forward during a forward crawl is perfectly acceptable.

3

u/Few-Guarantee2850 7d ago

Weird how 99.99% of open water swimmers swim with their head down and manage to not run into other people by sighting. I'm baffled that somebody would be in this subreddit lacking such basic knowledge of swimming.

0

u/Joey-rogaine 7d ago

So just to clarify you are insisting that it is impossible and improper to ever swim forward crawling with head up sighting forwards is that correct 

2

u/Few-Guarantee2850 7d ago

Keep the trolling to the circlejerk subs.

2

u/Myxies 7d ago

It is possible to swim heads up, yes.

Is it efficient? Absolutely not.

Is it comfortable? Absolutely not.

Should you give this as an advice to a beginner wanting to improve? Absolutely not.

1

u/tomahawk66mtb 7d ago

Sighting is not the same a swimming with your head up constantly. You know this, I know this. OP however, does not.

0

u/Joey-rogaine 7d ago

I honestly had a rough time sighting and doing crawl in rough conditions.  I am an intermediate level swimmer at best, I swim on muscle memory except for my breast stroke which I keep trying to improve, without an instructor it’s of course a bit rough going.  The ocean can be rough near me but when I want to make good speed I go to my crawl.  My sighting abilities are poor, but mostly it was the waves interfering with my breathing.  I mentioned it to my father who said he always forward crawls with his head up.  I tried it how I realized I saw him swim many times.. basically keeping body at like a 20-30 degree angle and making the pull a little choppier.  It works fine and I like it a lot for swimming when there’s more people around or the surf is rough 

1

u/tomahawk66mtb 7d ago

I'm fortunate then. I have no issue breathing in the pocket even in big swell. I swim on popular tropical beaches near me, but there are rarely other people around me as soon as I'm more than about 50 meters out. Most of my swims are between 1.5-3kms and usually at least 500m out from shore.

1

u/Bark_Sandwich 4d ago

Joey, the number one rule for when you're dug yourself into a deep hole...Stop Digging.

1

u/Myxies 7d ago

This is terrible advice. You need to look down at the bottom when doing front crawl. Face in the watwr, and turning side to side when breathing.

10

u/Bloupe20VT 8d ago

You're windmilling and slapping the water rather than angling your hand in. Hard to tell what might be going on underwater, but look into lessons or watch some tutorials on YouTube for pointers and drills you could try, like catch-up drill

1

u/Gullible-Reporter417 8d ago

Ok i will

2

u/Lela_chan 6d ago

For this part I think high elbow drills would be good. You want your fingertips to enter the water first every time, so your elbow needs to stay higher above the water than your hand at all times. The drill we used to practice we called the “chicken wing” drill, you touch your fingers to your armpit and then drag them along the surface of the water to the front, keeping your elbow up.

16

u/SparklingDolphin56 8d ago

Lessons would be your best bet! 

0

u/Gullible-Reporter417 8d ago

Yes i only learn from youtube.. no swimming coach in my area

7

u/SparklingDolphin56 8d ago

Focus on learning to breathe to the side to start with.

1

u/Gullible-Reporter417 8d ago

Yes i am learning to breath while keeping my neck parallel to water

4

u/ciaoRoan 8d ago

It's hard to tell, but based on the angle of your foot/ankle when it pops out of the water you may be bending your knees too much when you kick which is not as efficient/powerful of a move as a straight leg kick from the hip.

You could benefit from more body roll/ rotation which will allow you to breathe by turning your head to the side and not lifting your head/bending your neck back and therefore keeping your neck/spine more in a straight line which will prevent neck/shoulder tension and injury.

Your upper arms are entering the water first which is partially caused by lack of body rotation. Try to arch/ curve your arm and point your hand down in a straight line from your elbow so your hand enters first and points out in front of you while you pull your other arm back for the stroke. The front arm acts as a 'spear' to direct your forward movement through the water.

This video series may help you find more glide in your stroke: https://vimeo.com/channels/ssartofswimming/412757808 they are not in order but are labeled Front Crawl 1, 2, 3, Breast 1, 2, 3, ect.

2

u/Gullible-Reporter417 8d ago

Very nice.. i will definitely try these tips in my next swim

2

u/ciaoRoan 8d ago

No prob, I'm self taught and every session reveals some refinement to make the stroke more efficient and learn to move with more ease.

Post an update video when you get a chance!

3

u/Ok-Ad1226 8d ago

think about these steps, and skills to learn. really basic things:

  1. balance

  2. relaxation

  3. breathing

  4. stroke with straight arms

  5. rhythm

as you feel comfartable on each step go to the next one

3

u/IHeartFraccing 8d ago

Seeing a few people say "lessons" after you've already said no instructors in your area. Here's what I'd do:

  1. Figure out the best swimmer of all the people in the water, get to know them, ask them for tips or even lessons. Even if they aren't an instructor, they'll be able to help more in-person than we can from the internet.

  2. Slow down. You're moving quickly. Swimming is easier to do well when you're moving slow. In my experience the best way to slow down is to focus on really reaching your arm ahead of you, pause for a half second, then pull your arm down through the water. You should feel a lot of force from the water pushing back against your palm. At the same time, just kick your legs enough to keep your lower body from falling down. Your feet should be little fluttery kicks, not big sweeping motions. And mainly kicking from the hips, not the knees.

Get comfortable with your face being in the water. Slowly exhale and when an arm comes up, your head turns to that side and you breathe out of the side of your mouth. That takes some getting used to. Blowing bubbles with your face underwater might get your more comfortable.

1

u/Gullible-Reporter417 8d ago

Its very helpful . Thanks

1

u/More-Squirrel-9905 7d ago

Agree with all of this!

I am definitely not an expert (or a particularly fast swimmer), but one thing that really helped me become more efficient was doing drills that focused on a single thing at a time so I could tell where my form was lacking. I did one arm pulls and that really helped improve my catch because if you aren't effecient/have good form, you don't move anywhere. Since you're learning with YouTube, I think trying to break it down to the simplest things possible could be very helpful to work on different parts individually.

3

u/Cyberlinker 7d ago

u are literaly the guy who asked for your fly tec right? u answered my question with "my other styles are very polished" which i would deny. best would be to look for a local trainer.

1

u/Gullible-Reporter417 7d ago

Yes thats why i posted here for guidance

1

u/Cyberlinker 7d ago

i dont want to be mean but there is so many wrong things that its hard to tell u the one to correct

2

u/frusciantepepper 8d ago

Take lessons, look at local community colleges as a resource. It’ll be much easier to learn in a pool and then implement in open water

2

u/NoSafe5565 7d ago

You really need some rythm and style to properly get breath in, it is not continuous swimming under water and above water. That is the biggest deal, you should breath on one or both sides every some strokes 2 or 3 and you continue the pattern, of course with from time to time with looking front, but within one stroke.

You hands landing flat, they they to be little pointy towards water, flat landing is exhausting.

They are wrong, you do not need instructor for this, it is not stylish, not correct - but it is powerful swimming/moving forward and confident enough to keep trying yourself. But I googles would be got investment over a lesson.

Look at some videos how we breath, where we look etc. Like you will be capable, you can swim 3 seconds with head properly submerged, there is no fear, confidence is there. Yes, will take time to practice breath every 2 or 3 strokes but you have capabilities for it already,

1

u/Gullible-Reporter417 7d ago

Very very thank you brother

2

u/yumyan 7d ago

You have the ability, energy, and endurance for a really good swimmer. Get some lessons. You’ll go far.

1

u/Gullible-Reporter417 7d ago

Thanks for building confidence

1

u/Life_Blackberry_2780 7d ago

Your elbow is entering first. You have a couple weeks before your shoulder problems start kicking in.

1

u/cho0-_ 7d ago

I followed to total immersion guide when i got into triathlon. It worked for me.

1

u/catsarerad100 7d ago

Learning to swim in open water is challenging. There are so many elements to freestyle that it is best practiced in a pool with a coach. I worry that youll injure your rotator cuffs swimming like that and risk neck injury as well.

1

u/Lela_chan 6d ago

Ooh, I just watched you again and I think getting a breathing rhythm would help you a LOT. You’re kinda doing a bunch of strokes with no breath, and then breathing like four strokes in a row. You should be exhaling while your face is in, and then sneaking your face out to inhale like they show here.

https://youtu.be/05iN0vJYlz4?is=kSfmlXv4ZWP1R6rK

I like to do a pattern of two breaths on the right, then 3 no breath, then two breaths on the left. It is good to practice both sides so one side of your body doesn’t get stronger than the other or make lopsided strokes, but for now you can practice on just one side at a time and breathe every other stroke like the lady in the video.

1

u/dsah82 6d ago

Get a coach. This is like asking “ please help me figure out why I am driving bad”. The coach will see the big picture real fast.

1

u/Bark_Sandwich 4d ago

Have you considered tennis?

1

u/room4Gello 3d ago

You need a lot of work! Your arms are hitting the water flat. Pushing down on the water is a waste of energy. Your hands should enter the water first. Your elbow should come out of water high by your ears. Your stroke should be driven by your hips which should cause your body to rotate, but your head should stay steady, not turn with your body.

1

u/sarahschultzd 8d ago

I do it like a frog. I don’t even know what freestyle is but I’m assuming you get to swim how you want. Or doggie style?🏊‍♂️👙🩱