Read time: 4min.
By Coach Yan Busset
Are You Cutting Your Freestyle Short?
The Critical Mistake Holding You Back
One of the most overlooked aspects of freestyle swimming is how swimmers finish their stroke. Many tend to exit the water too early with their hand, which leads to a common issue: dragging lots of water. As this happens, you have to work harder and harder with each stroke, this creates a sticky situation, making each stroke harder and harder to push through, leading to increased fatigue and slowing down progress in the water,like a poor seagull stuck in an oil spill. Over time, this small mistake compounds, leaving swimmers more tired than they should be. By correcting this and pushing all the way to the end of the stroke, not only do you reduce water drag and fatigue, but you also maintain crucial momentum to help bring your arm back forward with ease. Let’s explore why this part of the stroke is vital and how it impacts your overall efficiency.
Understanding the Importance of Pushing to the End
To swim efficiently, it’s essential to ensure that you push all the way through at the end of the stroke. This means the palm of your hand should be oriented directly backward, in direction of your feet, until the end, not sideways, to maximize propulsion. While the front catch is the most effective phase of the stroke, there’s still propulsion to be gained at the end. Some kayakists refer to this end phase as "dead water" because at the end of the stroke, the swimmer's relative speed is higher, making the water feel less resistant. Despite this, it’s still an important phase for your propulsion. The push at the end might not feel as powerful as the catch, but it plays a crucial role in maintaining speed and rhythm.
Avoiding Water Drag and Fatigue
The key issue with exiting too early is that it creates water drag, which forces you to work harder. As your hand leaves the water prematurely, you effectively "drag" the water forward, against the flow, adding resistance to your movement. This makes each stroke harder, leading to quicker fatigue. By fully extending your arm and pushing all the way back to 180 degrees, you reduce this drag and make the entire stroke cycle smoother and more efficient.
Maintaining Momentum for an Easier Return
Another critical benefit of finishing the stroke properly is that it helps keep your momentum going. By fully extending your push, you make the return of your arm to the front of the stroke much easier and faster. This smooth continuation of movement reduces the energy required to start the next stroke, helping you swim with greater efficiency and less effort. Essentially, the end of the stroke creates the momentum needed for the recovery phase, ensuring that your arm moves forward naturally.
Never Compromise Your Distance Per Stroke
One of the key factors in efficient swimming is maintaining a long distance per stroke. This means reaching as far forward as possible with each stroke and pushing as far back as possible. Compromising on either end, whether it’s cutting your reach short at the front or exiting early at the back, will decrease your potential to swim faster. Like only using the small chairing on the bike. Never compromise on the length of your stroke, it’s crucial for both speed and energy conservation.
Rotation: A Vital Component
Rotation plays a key role in both reaching forward and finishing the stroke. Proper body rotation allows you to extend further on the front end of the stroke while simultaneously helping you finish your push at the back. As your body rotates, they give you the space, leverage and extra push needed to maximize the end of the stroke. By focusing on rotation, you’ll find it easier, smooth as butter, to push all the way back at the end of the stroke, enhancing both the power and smoothness of your movement.
Takeaway Tip: Focus Drill for the End of the Stroke
Here’s a practical drill you can add to your training routine to sharpen your focus on finishing the stroke properly:
When swimming normally, try to exaggerate the end of the stroke by splashing water behind you, think of it as trying to splash the swimmer directly behind you. This exaggeration forces you to push all the way to the end of the stroke, helping you develop muscle memory and better feel for when to exit the water. Over time, this drill will help ensure you're not exiting too early, allowing you to maximize your stroke’s efficiency.
Conclusion
Finishing your freestyle stroke isn’t just about adding speed, it's about swimming smarter and conserving energy. By completing the stroke and avoiding early exits, you reduce water drag, maintain momentum, and set yourself up for a more fluid and effective swim. Add this key technique element and drill into your sessions, and over time, you’ll find that swimming feels easier and more natural, with less effort wasted. Small adjustments like this can make a big difference in your endurance and overall swim performance. Now that you know the secret, no waist of time, no excuses left, close your laptop, put down your phone, and hop hop hop, go jump in the nearest pool to practice!
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