A more effective front crawl arm stroke
In front crawl, most of your speed comes from the arm stroke. Many recreational swimmers pull a lot but move forward very little, because their hand slips through the water without a grip. This guide divides the arm stroke into phases and gives drills for each one.
You will need
- Swimming goggles and cap
- A pull buoy, a float you put between your legs
- A kickboard
- Small hand paddles if you like
- A phone for filming with a friend's help
Steps
Put your hand in the water in line with your shoulder
Your hand enters the water fingers first between your head and shoulder, about 20–30 cm in front of your head. Don't slap your palm onto the water and don't take your hand across the midline.
Extend forward
Catch with a high elbow
Pull under your body
Push to the end
Recover relaxed
Practise the fingertip drag
Do a one-arm drill
Count your strokes
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