12 Freestyle Drills for a Faster Freestyle

There are several freestyle drills for a faster freestyle and easy development into a better freestyle swimmer. Although you get better as a swimmer while swimming regularly in pools, drills should never be neglected.

Drills are essential in swimming and they help to improve your technique, movement, breathing, arm control, or kicking. If you want to improve a part of your swimming, then you should consider taking some freestyle drills.

Since there are many freestyle drills, I have sorted out some of the best ones to settle for. These options are effective and fast. It is best if you understand each drill before doing them. Let’s get started.

12 Useful Freestyle Drills for a Faster Freestyle

If you want to get better as a freestyle swimmer, you should include freestyle drills with your training sessions. Each freestyle drill selected has been discussed concisely for better comprehension. Hence, you need to identify which option suits your training regimen.

1. Closed-Fist Freestyle

Here is a simple drill that can become your favorite in no time. As the name suggests, this drill requires you to clench your fist rather than opening it as you’ve always done. This drill aims at improving your feel of the water.

Unlike when you open your fist, you experience little water resistance and the paddling effect of your fist is almost inexistent. Removing this beneficial surface area means that you use your forearms for the pull.

This way, you learn how to utilize all of your hands for movement. During this drill, you might seem slower than usual; however, you have more feel of the water afterward. It also encourages higher elbow recovery.

2. Underwater Freestyle With Swim Fins

This may seem a little advanced but it works best for those that want to increase the power generated by their hands. It focuses on strengthening and boosting your arm speed during recovery. You can be ahead of rivals if you get the recovery phase correctly.

Of course, you need a good pair of swim fins. While pushing your body with the fins, you can take your arm strokes slowly. Since you’re underwater, there is a higher resistance on your arms, allowing you to focus on your arm speed during recovery.

3. Hand-Drag Drill

You might also want to try out the hand-drag drill. This drill also focuses on your arm speed, body rotation, and breath timing. It is very similar to the normal freestyle drill so it shouldn’t be challenging.

While swimming freestyle, pull your hand in the water throughout the recovery stage, keeping still and rigid. Return to normal once the recovery stage ends. It should feel like slashing through the water. You can use paddles for more intensity.

4. Head-up Freestyle

If you are interested in improving your balance and power, this drill, head-up freestyle, is a nice option. As the name suggests, it requires you to put your head up while swimming freestyle. Hence, it may be a little difficult.

It aims at keeping you off-balance. Therefore, you have to force yourself to sustain a straight body posture. Consequently, it moderates your front stroke and eliminates over-glide that can cause sinking.

This improves your balance as you learn to control your stroke and rhythm. You also get to develop a high elbow recovery. Interestingly, you can use a swim cord for a more intense workout.

5. Sculling

Another good way to improve your grip on the water is sculling. It comes in different variations but its aim is the same. Interestingly, it can be done regardless of your experience level.

It requires you to sweep the water (like you are treading the water) while you put your face in the water. It engages the nerves in your fingers as you sweep the water. You can sweep in circles, side-to-side, and any convenient motion.

It is not unusual if you move slowly. However, ensure that you position your arms just some inches below the water surface. You can use fins, paddles, gloves, buoys, or kickboards for more convenience.

6. Over-Kick Freestyle Drill

Here is a freestyle drill that focuses on improving your kicking power and propulsion. Just like the closed-fist drill, t is a simple drill and you should understand it really fast.

While executing the normal freestyle stroke, increase your kicking speed without changing the speed of your arms’ movement. You can increase your kicks to twice your usual kicking speed. You should feel like you’re running but swinging your arms less.

Doing this drill helps you to connect your kick and pull properly while improving your legs’ range of motion. It is also effective at helping you reduce the chances of your hip corkscrewing and ankles hitting themselves.

See Also: 4 Drills for a Faster Freestyle Kick

7. Catch-up Freestyle

If your focus is to improve your distance per stroke, you should consider improving your catch. You can try out the catch-up freestyle drill to improve your catch. It can be executed by beginners, intermediates, and experts.

While kicking isn’t the focus here, you still have to kick to maintain your balance or use a swim cord. Focusing on your catch improves your hands’ entry into the water. A good entry allows better grip and thrust.

8. Single-Arm Freestyle Drill

This is quite another fantastic drill but might seem tough to some swimmers. As the name hints, swimmers swim with only one arm while still kicking both legs. You may retain the idle hand in front or beside your body.

It copies all the usual moves of the normal freestyle move. It works all your muscles, enhancing your flexibility. It helps you improve your grip and balance in the water. For more effectiveness, you should swim slowly.

9. Slow Swimming

You can actually try out slow swimming. It’s not really a swimming drill per se. Nevertheless, it allows you to focus on your body, your balance, and your technique.

Slow swimming helps you to appreciate and develop your feel of the water. Also, you can kick consistently, balance your body effectively, and pull your hands better in the water.

10. Fingertip Drag Freestyle Drill

It helps you improve your arm position during the recovery phase of your strokes. This drill requires you to drag your fingers across the water surface during recovery.

Ensure that your elbows are parallel to the water. After pulling your arm underwater, gradually bring it up before dragging it along the water surface.

11. Dolphin-Kick Freestyle

Practicing dolphin kicks, you can effectively build a great rhythm, stroke rate, and a higher elbow catch. This is recommended for butterfly stroke swimmers. When you develop these attributes, you get to limit your rate of exhaustion.

12. Dip and Kick

It is best to perform this in a long pool or with a swim cord. Basically, it focuses on enhancing your front crawl. By properly executing this drill, you can improve your arm speed and power over time.

You need a paddle to generate much thrust and water resistance. Also, while performing the front crawl, you do not have to rotate your body but keep your face down in the water.

FAQs

Still, have you got questions on how to improve freestyle faster with swimming drills? You might want to take a look at some frequently asked questions on the internet. I’ve answered these questions in detail for quick comprehension.

How do you sprint freestyle faster?

Different factors determine your freestyle speed. However, getting the techniques – arm movement, balance, leg movement, breathing patterns, and body rotation – right is important. These key attributes determine how fast you sprint.

How can I increase my freestyle speed?

If you have been finding it difficult to increase your freestyle speed, it might be your technique. Once you’ve got that right, you have a good launchpad to increase your speed. You can develop these techniques by taking any of the drills mentioned in this article.

Conclusion

There are various freestyle drills to improve freestyle faster; however, the twelve drills in this article are more effective and reliable. The onus is on you to understand each freestyle drill and smoothly include them in your training sessions.

Now that you know some quality freestyle drills to improve your freestyle swimming. You cannot just become very good in just one day. However, regular practice can enhance faster development. It is important to take it slowly to prevent avoidable exhaustion and injuries. Happy training!

Do you have any questions, suggestions, or comments related to freestyle drills? In case you do, you can drop them in the comment section below the page.

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