WINTER FREESTYLE REFRESHER: PART 3: USING YOUR ARMS IN FRONT CRAWL
SIMON GRIFFITHS
It might seem strange that we only come to using your arms in front crawl in the third part of this course. After all, your arms are the main source of propulsion. However, propulsion is of limited use if you have poor body position, are unstreamlined and can’t breathe efficiently. Moreover, unless you are balanced in the water, you will find it difficult to properly control your arms. Try to practise what we covered in parts one and two of this series before moving on – but don’t despair if you are struggling. In practice, improving front crawl is an iterative process. You don’t just learn streamlining and balance and then add in your arms. You need to repeatedly review all the components of your stroke.
The premise of this winter refresher course is to help you improve your front crawl if you don’t have access to video analysis or a coach. Video analysis is often the most effective way to identify potential improvements but it can be expensive. We want to help you feel and understand how you swim so you can make improvements yourself.