Swim faster?

Question

May anyone give me some tips on swimming faster (freestyle). Is there a certain motion you have to put your arms in to swim faster? Are anything like that. Please don't tell me to practice more...

Answer 1

Practice various freestyle drills. They definitely help me go faster and help you concentrate on the right things when you're swimming. Here are a few ideas:

1) Catch-up drill: This is sort of like regular freestyle, but you keep your hand in front until your other hand reaches it, so you only have one hand moving at a time, and the other one is reached in front of you. Remember to kick as well or this will be really tiring.

2) Freestyle Kick: Keep your hands in front of you and only kick. When you need to breath, you can do one stroke and return your hand in front of you.

3) Freestyle Pull: Cross your ankles behind you and don't kick--Just stroke. This definitely helps develop your arm muscles.

Also, when practicing, I like to do a few laps of the kick, then a few laps of the pull, and then an actual freestyle. When you get to the regular freestyle, you end up stroking as if that's all that's pulling you and kicking as if that's all you're depending on to swim, and that makes you go really fast.

Also, when you practice, always practice more than you will have to in competition. If you're going to be in a 25 yard race, practice 100s. If you're going to be swimming 50 yards, practice 300 yards. If you're going to be swimming 100, practice 400. If you're going to be swimming 200, practice 500 yards.

When you're swimming, remember to focus on both your arms and legs. I forgot to put any effort into kicking once, and I got last place in the race. It was horrible.

Good luck! =)

Answer 2

ok the first thing i would suggest is to do strengthening to your arms and upper body. The more powerful your stroke is the faster you will go. I would suggest to keep your stroke long and focus on extending your arm to the fullest extent before you start your pull. When you pull, remember that its not how many pulls you do, but how powerfull each stroke is. When you first start out you will pull more, but with practise you should be getting stronger and therefore you will be able to pull less but also go faster. At the end of your pull you should excellorate your arms so that it is the fastest and strongest part of your pull. I would also suggest streamlining when you push off the wall. Streamlining is where you kick off the wall hard and hold your hands in front of your head (while you are still under water) and do flutter kick untill you start floating up and then start your pull. When you breathe, i would say to breathe every two strokes so that you are breathing on opposite sides. If you do this you have less of a chance of damaging your back and your rotaters cuffs in your arms. Also always kick even when you get tied because it helps you get a faster time.

Answer 3

It would be nearly impossible to give you tips on your stroke without see it first. There is a really good website that I down load stuff from for my swimmers. www.swim.ee it has some very good video clips showing world class swimmers. There are also a few great books you could check out. "Swimming Fast", "Swimming Faster", and "Swimming Even Faster". There were all written by a Major University Swim Coach. Starts with an "M" but i can't remember his name. Great matterial.

Answer 4

Make yourself nice and smooth, I take a hottub before a big meet and use lots of baby oil, that really helps. Now, for technique, you just need to pull as much water as possible. Extend out as far as you can, push the water down as hard as you can, and dont pull up your arm around your waiste!!!! PULL DOWN AS FAR AS YOU CAN, and pull back up quickly. Also, flipturns and stramline are very important, and so is your kick and body motion. I'm a national level swimmer, so I know what im doing. And i know u dont wanna hear this, but I practice eaither 5 or 6 times a week, and each practice is very hard. Practice pulling as far and long as posslbe.

Answer 5

like someone has said before, its hard to give you advice without seeing your stroke
shaving everything can be innapropriate, but i shave my arms legs and amrpits before the state championship meet---that wont make you swim very much faster though
and if you do jogging or running for just about a mile or two each day, that will also help you a little

i hate to tell you because you told me not to, but practicing more will help you a lot--but other ways are have a strong kick, and bilateral breath, and also do the s patern in the water, and when you finish your stroke, give it a strong push so you go forward.

best of luck!!!!!

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Answer 6

Put Adidas deodorant on before you swim. I know it sounds weird but it's scientifically proved by athletes to be a body booster. I've used to and its really good. I put it on before any race. Also, when you swim, think of words like 'strong, strong' when your feeling weak or when your doing long distance, 'pull, pull' when your not getting enough pull, 'hips, hips' when your not getting enough hip rotation, 'Go!' when your going too slow and 'steady, steady' when your feel that your going too fast. The motion of your arms in the pool should be smooth, think 'smooth, smooth' when you want your arms to go smoother- it has worked for athletes and me so I have introduced you to this magical words fiest. Remember, swimming is not only physical but also mental. It also works if you think to yourself 'Come on! I know I'm faster than this' or when you imagine that someone slow is in front of you and you want to overtake them, you will go faster. If you have strong legs, tell your legs to kick more 'kick, kick' don't let your arms do all the work. Weight lifting will help your strength.

from, hong kong varsity swimmer and sports coach hopeful vanessa. If you know of anyone who could recommend me, I can be contacted at www.xanga.com/peufqa_code

Answer 7

If ur stroke isnt ****** up or anything then just say to yourself that the pain is only in your head and and keep on pushing. Thats what i do, it makes me forget about the pain. Also, i have this problem, dont breathe in and out of your turns and catch up your stroke

Answer 8

vary your training add something besides swimming to your routine like judo or running. you will be surprised at the results.

Answer 9

kick really hard and your arms motion will come to you

Answer 10

its against the rules but you could grease up with vasaline