Learn To Swim Freestyle | A Simple Step-By-Step Guide

The freestyle or front crawl technique is the most common swim technique out there, but it can be quite a handful if you are a beginner! Mark's here with a comprehensive guide to front crawl, covering arm movement, body position, leg kicks, and breathing.
00:00 A step-by-step guide to freestyle/front crawl in the pool
00:15 What is the freestyle technique?
01:02 Entry, catch, pull, and recovery in the freestyle
02:46 How do you breathe when swimming?
03:36 The leg kick in the freestyle
04:07 Rotation of body when swimming
05:10 Focus on one thing at a time in the pool
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[@gtn]

Share your freestyle beginner tips in the comments 💬

[@MomoSmitty]

Can you recommend a good beginners swim workout? Should we focus on training just one style/freestyle? Or incorporate sets of breaststroke and backstroke?

[@goingtothefifty]

to learn to breath on both sides, I did a lot of one arm strokes at weak side

[@mandagrath]

My tip is don’t give up. I taught myself to swim as an adult. It’s a long process. It took months before I could swim a 750. If you can have someone record you in the pool that can help a lot. You might feel like Mike but look like a grocery sack in the water.

[@stepforwardtv1]

😂 Still feeling like a grocery sack

[@Futurescot]

Cheers for your comment on not giving up lol! I have just started i used to swim alot as a kid but never with proper technique but back to basics now and I have totally forgotten how to breath I have to stop halfway through a 25m lap 😂 It really is a art!

[@awhitehall3487]

Me too 😂​@@stepforwardtv1

[@ILM_Muga]

This tutorial was a life changer!!!! I can’t thank you enough I went from catching my breath after 25 meters to almost not getting tired after 400

[@GrubbShowMedia]

My tip is Mind, Body and Water connection. Some teach this as developing a "feel" for the water. Much of which just comes with time and being in the water. I would recommend any new swimmer that is serious about improving their stoke, to be in the water often. 3-4 times a week at a minimum. Develop that connection of body and mind, be mindful of each stroke, each breath and develop a keen since of the movement through the water. Feel it, hear it, visualize it.

[@DBJ468]

Wow, great timing(uploaded 11 hrs ago). This was an incredibly well done video. From the education, the tips, the cinematography, and even the voice-over, it's all great. Thank you.

[@susyanaheriprasetya8603]

Your video is so good👍

[@clairecaulkett4452]

Just what I need 😁 thank you 🙏

[@gtn]

Awesome! We hope you smash it 🙌

[@user-mp6st7lb8b]

Liked the video

[@panzerveps]

Wish you were a year earlier with this video. Just recently managed to learn how to swim front crawl after 8 months of trying.

[@woutdw4214]

Hi, very nice video and well explained! I have one question though. I am not a great swimmer at all, only started 5 months ago, so I am probably not the one to question you since you are a great swimmer but isn't your arm "dropping" too early when you breath? I have this problem and this has been slowing me down...

[@ryanfang2990]

I have my first triathlon coming up in july this helped so much! thank you!!!

[@gtn]

Good luck! What race are you doing?

[@ryanfang2990]

@@gtn 1. thanks for the like and the reply! 2. The new jersey state triathlon.

[@mandagrath]

Good luck. You’re going to love it

[@SBoots29]

Swimming is a life long improvement. I have been I would say almost proper for three years. (not the POLO swimming with not put head in water). Although I have achieved free style method my biggest challenge was anxiety and breathing. I used to do lateral breathing but found to stay calm and constant now I breath to the right only. I do try and practice back to lateral but anxiety creeps in. I now know how to quickly calm my mind down when getting panicked in water. (not sighting proper or breath errors). The start of a Tri Swim is also high anxiety for me even though I start to side and near last in water. @coaches corner, Anyway I can achieve better results?

[@BobutBrody]

How do you guys know what is going on with me and what I need so that every time I log on you have the perfect video? (thank you)

[@MrTheHazelnut]

Thanks for sharing the tips, but also the nomenclature of the different phase etc. I, probably especially as a non-native english speaker, am sometimes quite lost when watching your or other channels videos on swimming technique and there are words used for which I do not have a clear reference.

[@JyotiShankar]

Thank you for posting one of the best swimming videos in YT. I've watched the video many times. Each time, I find something new to learn. I especially love the "trace in water" effect that shows the path the arm is taking. It's also fascinating to observe how the body's rotation affects both the arms and the kick, illustrating why certain side drills can be effective for improving rotation skills. The video shows so many details so beautifully!

[@rizviamer]

Hi! Better to enter hand near your head, at a 45 degree angle, and then let it stretch forward than enter it all the way up front, as normally done in freestyle swimming.

[@markthrelfall3577]

Absolutely, although nothing wrong with it being a little further ahead. You will see a lot of triathletes slap down ahead due to swimming in the open water - mine has changed a lot since my swimming days. Sprinters also adopt a similar style

[@mounaimzine]

Please how to kick in open water video practice

[@user-yq5cb7zo2t]

How do I prevent water from entering the nose?

[@mabyewest]

My guess is to breathe out slowly

[@_Zabamund_]

I'm a land dwelling animal so breathing is the most important aspect of swimming. Hence I never swim. Also terrified of water as I have no gills.

[@gtn]

Ever been tempted to give swimming a try? We've done a video with a swimming beginner here 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2e5nmhveMiemLM

[@_Zabamund_]

@gtn I have yes, I learned to swim at 24 and it confirmed my opinion

[@c4lmchor]

damn i pray for you man. Thank god when during puberty i had the privilege to grow a set of gills. It's easier to swim now

[@janettesantos7672]

…..But you have lungs!!!

[@moocowp4970]

Humans, and all mammals, actually have what is known as the mammalian diving reflex which helps calm your body when in water (it literally lowers your heart rate by about 30% significantly increasing the amount of time you can hold your breath for), we've literally evolved to be capable at swimming. It's true that us not having gills means fish are always going to be better than us in the water, but you'd be amazed at how well you can do with a bit of training and persistence. I hope you try to get some training again at some point to overcome your fears, as I feel like swimming is something fundamental that humans should learn. Best of luck to you :)

[@clashgamer4207]

When he breaths his hand sinks down a lot

[@prabhavvaishnav1444]

The water fills my noise if i try to breathe while swimming

[@Lyonellan]

You need to breathe out a little when your face is under water. That way the air pushes away the water. But a little bit of water may get in and it is allright. You can also use nose clippers. Try to switch up your breathing rythm and see how it goes.

[@PuntaPacifica507]

I have a question…silly enough. but I had 2 cups of coffee for breakfast and went for morning swim. I felt like my swimming dropped by 50% and I was exhausted . Does the caffeine affect a swimmer in this way normally.? Yes, to answer your question my heart has a clean bill of health. What’s your opinion on caffeine??

[@sillyofthegoose6288]

I doubt it's the caffeine. I would think that the way coffee sets in the stomach will make you sluggish. Coffee is not able to supplement your body in energy or calories, which results in getting tired faster or decrease in performance. I hope this answers your questions

[@Vlad-vh4zk]

Question: how do you see what's going on in the pool? On my lane there are usually a few people going at different speed, cutting me off, etc. If your eyes are constantly on the prize except a microsec you breath, how do you see ahead of you?