Discover 15 key front crawl swim drills to improve your technique

Struggling to nail your front crawl swim and think you need to put some hours in to bring your technique up to speed? Learn how to improve your front crawl technique and make the most of your time in the water with these swim drills.

Front crawl, also known as freestyle, is the fastest and most efficient swim stroke to master as a triathlete or open-water swimmer. These key drills aim to help you master your front crawl technique, encouraging your body into a more streamlined position in the water, while also increasing your propulsion and speed. Let’s get into it…

• Best swimming goggles for pool and open water

How to improve your front crawl technique

Here are the only 15 front crawl drills you need to know to improve your technique, endurance, and overall swim performance.

The arm action can be broken down into five parts, each of which has its own specific requirements…

Hand entry

• Fingertips or thumb enter the water first.
• Hand enters between your head and shoulder.
• Hand extends (glides) forward after entry.

Down sweep

• Hand presses down and sweeps outwards.
• Hand sculls to catch water as arm approaches full extension.
• Hand sweeps down as elbow begins to flex (keep elbow high).

In sweep

• Hand continues to accelerate.
• Bend at your elbow increases.

Upsweep

• Hand accelerates as it passes under your shoulder.
• Hand pushes through to thigh.

Recovery

• Elbow is relaxed while lifted.
• Little finger exits the water first.

How important is technique when it comes to swimming?

What’s a good swimming pace?

1. Fist swimming

This drill promotes your feel for the water.

• Keep your fists clenched as you swim for a set distance (for example 12.5m). It should feel as if your hands are slipping through the water.
• Unclench your fist once you reach the distance and continue to swim front crawl. You should feel a difference in the water pressure around your hand.
• This feeling should give you a better idea about the movement your hand makes as it pulls through and catches hold of the water.

2. Paddle swimming

Swimming with paddles promotes a greater feel for the water when used with fist swimming, and it also helps you develop a more powerful pull phase.

• Using the hand or finger paddles effectively will increase the surface area of your hands. This creates resistance when you try to pull them back through the water.
• Continue swimming as soon as possible after taking the paddles off so your hands feel the different resistance against the water.

Caution: Using paddles puts increased stress on your shoulders and, if used excessively or without good …