Find your flow: 5 techniques for silky smooth front crawl

By Rebecca Wetten, Co-Founder & Head Coach at Catch

Ever watched someone glide past you in the water & thought: “How are they making that look so easy?”

Silky smooth front crawl isn’t about trying harder. It’s mainly about removing the things that slow you down.

If you’re training for an open water swim, triathlon, or just want swimming to feel less like a fight - these five technique tweaks will make a big difference.

Let’s get into it.

1. Head position - don’t be a see-saw

Your body in the water works like a see-saw.

If your head lifts up, your legs sink. And sinking legs create drag.

Here’s what you want instead:

●     Eyeline down towards the pool floor

●     Chin ever so slightly lifted

●     Eyes pointing around 1-2 metres in front of you

That’s it.

The most common mistake? Lifting the head too high. If you can clearly see the end of the pool in front of you, your head is probably up. When that happens, your legs drop & it feels like you’re dragging a weight behind you.

Lower your eyeline slightly & your lower half should start to feel lighter almost instantly.

Be an arrow. Not a see-saw.

2. Body position - small kick, high legs

Your kick isn’t there to power you down the pool.

Its main job is to keep your legs high in the water.

Think small. Think narrow.

A good flutter kick has:

●     Straight legs with a small bend at the knee

●     Pointed toes

●     Relaxed, floppy ankles

For anything that isn’t a sprint, the effort should feel about 2 or 3 out of 10.

If your legs feel like heavy logs drifting behind you, they’re too low. If you’re exhausted but not going any faster, you’re probably kicking too hard.

Small, controlled kicks help lift the legs & hold your body in that lovely flat position.

3. Breathing - never hold it

If your swimming feels tense or rushed, breathing is usually the culprit.

When your face is in the water, you should be slowly exhaling. This is called trickle breathing. It keeps you relaxed & stops that panicky, out-of-breath feeling.

When you turn to breathe:

●     Rotate your body & head together

●     Keep it quick

●     Don’t lift the head

Imagine there’s a skewer running from the top of your head through your spine. You rotate along that line like you are a barbecue sausage.

It sounds ridiculous. It works.

4. The kick - efficient, not dramatic

Let’s zoom in a little more.

Big scissor kicks create drag. Stiff ankles create drag. Overbending the knees creates drag.

If your legs feel tense or jerky, soften them.

Think light. Think narrow.

The goal is to support your body position & keep the legs high - not to thrash your way down the pool.

5. The catch - where speed actually comes from

If you want more speed & power, this is the bit to focus on.

The catch is when you anchor the water & start pressing it back.

Two key ideas:

●     Use your hand & forearm as a paddle

●     Keep your elbow high so your arm forms roughly a right angle under your body

If your elbow drops & your arm stays straight, you lose power.

When you bend the arm & keep that elbow high, you press back on more water - which means more propulsion for the same effort.

This one takes patience. But when it clicks, you’ll feel it straight away.

Silky swimming isn’t about working harder

It’s about reducing drag & improving efficiency.

Lower your head slightly & your legs lift.Relax your breathing & your heart rate settles. Improve your catch & you move further per stroke.

It can be learned.

Want to learn this properly?

Silky smooth front crawl isn’t reserved for the naturally gifted. It can be learned. & we’d love to help you build that skill. With Catch, there’s no stress and no guesswork. Just a clear plan and steady progress towards a swim you can feel proud of.

With Catch’s premium membership, Catch Gold, you get:

● Step-by-step video lessons for each of these techniques

●     A personalised training plan built around your goals

●     Sessions that show you exactly how to apply what you’ve learned

No guessing what drill to do. No random lengths. Just clear guidance & steady progress.

GET STARTED WITH A 30-DAY FREE TRIAL

Use the code NOWCA26 to get an exclusive £25 off your Catch Gold membership.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Catch.

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