How to practice the basics of front crawling in swimming

Front crawl is the fastest stroke and gives you the feeling of being powerful in the water. It is often hard to get the hang of at first because fitting in the breathing can be difficult. Follow along in this swimming how-to video to learn the basics of the front crawl.

Step 1:
Swim with all of your body close to the surface of the water, keeping your hips and legs behind your shoulders. Imagine you are trying to swim through a narrow tube without touching the sides. A good way of doing this is to put your face in the water and keep your legs kicking all of the time.

Step 2:
Try to use long fast kicks, making sure all of your leg is moving up and down. Your knees should bend a little bit and your feet should make a small splash. Try counting to six quickly and kicking your legs in time with this.

Step 3:
Your arms provide the power for the stroke, so one arm should follow the other through the water and over the top. Try putting your hand into the water in front of your head and stretch it forwards as far as it will go, slicing it into the water with your thumb first - the less splash the better.

Step 4:
Increase your speed by bending your elbow and pushing your hand towards your feet, keeping it going until it reaches the top of your leg.
Lift your arm out of the water and try to control it as it goes back to the starting point.

Step 5:
Breathe regularly. Your face is in the water so you need to remember to turn your head when you want to take a breath. Try to turn your head smoothly, leaving the side of your head resting in the water.