Free style swimming for those of you who are beginners

Swimming is a versatile sport that can be performed with a variety of styles, distances and levels of difficulty. If you are a beginner, it is recommended that you try freestyle swimming in close quarters with regular rest breaks. Applying the correct freestyle swimming method not only benefits your muscles and breathing, but also helps you to become proficient in swimming quickly.

Free style swimming for beginners

There are several steps you need to take to be able to swim freestyle. Here's the explanation.

1. Swing hands

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Extend your hands with a distance of about 40 cm from the head. Spread your fingers apart slightly as your hand touches the water and follow the flow over the surface of the water with the palm of your hand. Your head should be straight with your body. This means that your forehead and face are in the water, while your hair and the top of your head are on the surface of the water.

Then, start practicing swinging your arms in freestyle swimming in the following way:

Move your right hand down, then back in a vertical position. At the same time, the elbow and upper arm of your left hand remain above the water level and move outward slightly.
Swing your right hand that is in the water towards the body. Use this movement to help propel yourself forward.
Your right hand will swing toward your waist. Tilt your body so that your right hand can swing without being obstructed by your waist.
After your right hand swings towards the body, lift the elbow of your right hand above the water level until the tip of the elbow points upward. Your hands should be relaxed with your fingers slightly apart. Do this swing in a circular motion.
Do the same swing with your left hand to continue the freestyle motion.

2. Kick and rotate the body

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The kicking and twisting motions provide energy to allow your body to move forward. Focus on kicking in the following body motion. The wrong kicking motion can actually 'drag' your body position and make you tired quickly.

The steps you need to do are:

Kick with straight legs. The energy used should come from the waist and thighs, not the knees.
Kick three times per hand swing.
Straighten the tips of your toes while swimming.
Maximize your body's push during freestyle swimming by tilting your body to the right and left according to the swing of your hand. Rotate your body to the right as your right hand and shoulder move forward, and vice versa. Rotate yourself from the waist, not from the shoulders.

3. Practice breathing

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The way you breathe when doing freestyle swimming needs to be adjusted to your body position. As your body rotates, lift one side of your face up to the surface of the water. This is an opportunity for you to take a breath. You just exhale again when your face is facing the water.

Here are the things you need to pay attention to:

Rotate your body to the right or left about 30 degrees. Inhale sufficiently and not too long. If necessary, you can inhale whenever your face is on the surface.
Don't raise your head when you pull. This method will upset the balance during freestyle swimming.
Keep your body and arms straight as you breathe.
Exhale through your mouth while your face is in the water. You need to exhale maximally so that no time is wasted when you inhale on the surface of the water.

How to swing your arms, kick and spin, and catch your breath are three important elements of freestyle swimming. Start by practicing one at a time, then combine the three as you swim. With regular practice, you will get used to it and over time you will be able to do it automatically.