The easiest way to go faster in freestyle is for swimmers to change...
Andrew Sheaff@AndrewKSheaff
56 views
Feb 05, 2026
~1 min read
1
The easiest way to go faster in freestyle is for swimmers to change their timing.
At slower speeds, with a front quadrant stroke, there are significant gaps in propulsion, where neither arm is creating propulsion.
At slower speeds, with a front quadrant stroke, there are significant gaps in propulsion, where neither arm is creating propulsion.
2
That means swimmers are slowing down between each and every stroke, and that will happen no matter how hard and powerful each stroke is.
More effort won’t solve the problem; they have to change their timing.
More effort won’t solve the problem; they have to change their timing.
3
In the sprints, by ensuring that the arms are moving in opposition, there’s no longer any gap in propulsion during the stoke cycle.
Even if swimmers are using the exact same effort and the exact same force, they’ll go faster because of the change in timing.
Even if swimmers are using the exact same effort and the exact same force, they’ll go faster because of the change in timing.
4
Freestylers have to own their timing to perform at their best.
They need to create propulsive gaps to optimize efficiency, and they need to minimize them to optimize speed.
They need to create propulsive gaps to optimize efficiency, and they need to minimize them to optimize speed.
5
The WHAT matters for skill development.
The right skills and the right strategies to help swimmers learn them.
The HOW matters, too.
Set design is critical, yet it’s more than that.
The right skills and the right strategies to help swimmers learn them.
The HOW matters, too.
Set design is critical, yet it’s more than that.