How can I improve my freestyle and become faster?

Question

I really want to become better. I have the basic stroke down, but do you have any tips to make be faster at it? Thank you!

Answer 1

by readin it wont help much.. but you have to have some one show you.. the SMALLEST things will make the biggest difference..

dont sing in the water... all you can think about is how can u make your stroke better.. each stroke you take, you have to think about it... dont let it just happen cuz u might let it happen wrong..

its not about how fast you can rotate your arms, its about how strong you can pull/push the water underneath your body.. how fast and strong can you have your 6/8/12 beat over kick(idk if u know what i mean- ask your coach)

stream line.. if u dont have any then forget it.. chin tucked in between you neck collarbones.. arms on top of the head, elbows locked it.. butterfly kick off the wall.. yes it is legal to butterfly kick off the wall on freestyle.. your body moves faster underwater then on top of the water.. so the longer u go under the better..

kick with your legs straight.. if your legs are maccaroni lookin like, and you bend your knees.. your legs are doing NOTHING.. your thighs are the strongest muscle in the body.. USE THEM GOOD!! short fast kicks.. the longer the kick the more energy you are wasitin, and time you are loosing.

Strokes.. everything is PHYSICS!! life is physics!! think about it.. if u place your hand on top of the water and push down.. where will that get you?? no where.. that will push you up.. now.. if you stick your hands in a about 30degrees angle into the water and u pull, that will automaticaly pull you across with out wastin time... dont cross your arms.. make sure they are straight out.. if you cross them, that makes your legs move from side to side.. once u become a better swimming you learn.. you pull on your freestyle like a z.. your hands do a "Z" movement underwaters.. yes it looks weird, but that gets you more "still sittin water" then if u pull it straight across.. the deeper you reach the better..

your head.. if you raise your head out of the water you have 2 bad consequences.. that makes your lower neck/hich back muscle tired.. u need that for fast breathin... and when u raise your head, you drop your legs-- again-- physics.. once u drop your legs, they become a wall and cause friction to cause you to loose a good 1-2 seconds.. and 1/10th of a second is a long time.. (i say that cuz i lost state for 1/100th of a second for a mistake i made and i rmenber making it too, next year i won it) so keep the water hitting the top of the googles..

Mouth open!! NO keep your mouth closed.. u dont need to wash your mouth with the pool water.. try to not breath.. if u start to faint.. then u breath.. other wise.. BREATHING IS NOT allowed.. when u feel your starting to faint and you breath does you no damage but keeps you without breathin as long.. make ur mouth a nike symbel lookin like to breath.. only 1/3 of your face should come out of the water to breath.. and that 1/3 is enough to make get you to put a little whole out of the water and pull in air.. the farther out your face goes.. the more time you loose..

your flipturns.. barely bend your knees, to a point you cant really tell.. your push will most of it come from your calfs.. DO TOE RAISES.. swim in, and throw your leg STRAIGHT OVER, so only your feet will fall right into the wall.. and before it his the water, you already pushing it off.. then again streamline.. head lucked in tight.. elbows locked.. butterfly kick.. air out your nose only.. kinda makes to look like a torpedo from your nose.. if you blow from your mouth it will block the water flow.. and your nose cuts the water so the bubbles just flow out..

tighten your glutex in.. that helps your body stay straight.. your legs straight and your abs contract.. well anyways

only readin wont help you much but it will get you a idea if u dont have much.. and then practice pratctice practice..

remenber this every time you wake up..

25% will be giving in practice.. the other 75% will be in your free time.. keep your mind in it.. think about it all day everday.. no cokes, burgers, greasy food.. cut those out.. become healthy.. get a personal trainer and get him to put on a high work out diet.. ask for your meals.. it may not be the best the first month.. but your body will thank you later..

well anyways.. hope i helped any.. let me know if u have other questions.. just email me

Answer 2

It's all in the mechanics and the amount you practice.

Here's some important stroke mechanics tips by body part

ENTIRE BODY

- It should roll from side to side, no swaying back and forth.

ARMS

- Hand should be closed, fingers together
- When the hands enter the water, they should be turned slightly (about 30 degrees) inward
- Elbow should bend
- The top of the stroke should be almost as far as you can reach, while the bottom of it should be below your hips

HEAD

- DO NOT LOOK FORWARD, keep the head DOWN. If you lift your head or look forward, your body looses balance on top of the water. Breathe by simply TURNING your head, not lifting it.

LEGS

- FAST AND SMALL FLUTTER KICKS are the key to a good stroke. You should get about 3 kicks per arm stroke.
- When kicking underwater after a start or turn, a strong dolphin kick is legal and preferred by many swimmers.

BREATHING

- Breathing every 3 or 5 strokes is highly encouraged. Make sure you exhale a lot underwater to get all that bad CO2 out of the system.

Here's some drills you can do to promote proper rolling of the body. Do them in succession.

- Flutter kick on your right side with your right arm outstretched and your left arm on your hip. Keep your head down, lifting only to breathe. Then, switch sides with arms in opposite positions (left one up and right one down)
- STOP STOP SWITCH - As before, do the flutter kicks on the side, but this time, after you kick about 10 to 12 times, take one stroke and alternate sides. This will get you push the rolling motion and breathing to both sides
- TRIPLE SWITCH - Just like stop stop switch, but instead of taking one stroke to switch sides, take three

and...

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!

Answer 3

Some tips I have from many years of swimming:

Instead of trying to move your arms faster through the water, take an entire stroke from front to back (follow through) pushing harder through each stroke. Try swimming with paddles, they will help you remember to push through the entire stroke.

If you're doing long distance don't over kick, if you're doing short distance kick with all your might.

Answer 4

its just a matter of will and determination

if you really are willing and determined to become a fast swimmer you will always give heed to your coaches' words, be disciplined, practice and persevere the pain of leg and abdominal cramps.

chlorine should be your perfume also

just practice, practice is different from that of the competition
in practice, you can stop if you want but in the competition, you should not stop in the race where a hundredth of a second is an eternity

Answer 5

don't think about the pain. sing a song while you are swimming. just keep on kicking. and check ur times all the time, so you know how much you improved or need to improve. practice, practice, practice.

Answer 6

Allways breath from one side, make your body as steamline as possible, and make your motions as symetric as possible. Most of all practice, practice, practice. Good luck.

Answer 7

k like when u dive into the pool when u r comin to the surface just breakout and start movin ur arms fast

Answer 8

get on a swim team and go to practice

Answer 9

practice

Answer 10

get a shark to chase you