Front Crawl Breathing Drills for Beginners

Breathing is one of the biggest challenges for swimmers learning the front crawl (freestyle). Beginners often struggle with timing, panic when holding their breath, or lift their heads too high — all of which disrupt body position and rhythm.

Fortunately, consistent practice with the right drills can make breathing smooth, automatic, and efficient. This guide breaks down the most effective front crawl breathing drills for beginners to help you stay calm, balanced, and confident in the water.

🧠 Why Breathing Technique Matters

In front crawl, breathing is more than just inhaling and exhaling — it's about synchronizing breath with stroke, maintaining streamlined form, and avoiding fatigue. Poor breathing habits lead to:

• Sinking hips

• Disrupted timing

• Water inhalation

• Increased drag and energy loss

✅ Mastering breathing early makes all the difference in building a strong freestyle foundation.

🌊 Foundational Tips Before Starting Drills

• Exhale underwater — don’t hold your breath

• Inhale quickly through the mouth as you turn your head

• Keep one goggle in the water while breathing to stay low

• Use body rotation, not head lift, to breathe

• Stay relaxed — tension increases breathlessness

🏊‍♂️ Best Breathing Drills for Front Crawl Beginners

1. Bubble Blowing in Shallow Water

Goal: Get comfortable exhaling underwater.

How to do it:

• Stand or kneel in shallow water.

• Submerge your face and exhale through your nose and mouth.

• Come up, inhale, repeat.

✅ Builds breath control and calmness underwater.

2. Sink Downs

Goal: Learn full exhalation before surfacing.

How to do it:

• Take a deep breath and let yourself sink.

• Exhale steadily underwater.

• Surface naturally as your lungs empty.

✅ Helps avoid breath-holding and prepares for rhythmic breathing.

3. Side Breathing Drill with Kickboard

Goal: Practice turning the head without lifting it.

How to do it:

• Hold a kickboard with arms extended.

• Flutter kick with face in the water.

• Turn your head to the side to breathe, then return it.

✅ Reinforces proper head position during breathing.

4. Catch-Up Drill with Breathing

Goal: Synchronize breathing with strokes.

How to do it:

• Swim front crawl but only take a stroke with one arm at a time.

• Pause with both hands extended before switching arms.

• Breathe during every arm pull on the same side.

✅ Slows things down to develop awareness of breathing timing.

5. 3-3-3 Breathing Drill

Goal: Increase comfort breathing less frequently.

How to do it:

• Swim 3 strokes, breathe.

• Swim 3 strokes, breathe on the other side.

• Alternate every 3 strokes.

✅ Introduces bilateral breathing and improves balance.

6. One-Goggle Breathing Drill

Goal: Train correct breathing angle.

How to do it:

• Focus on keeping one goggle submerged when you turn your head to breathe.

• Avoid lifting your head or turning too far.

✅ Reduces drag and maintains body position.

🔁 Practice Tips

• Start each swim with 5–10 minutes of breathing drills.

• Focus on exhaling completely before each inhale.

• Don’t rush your strokes — smooth and relaxed is better than fast and frantic.

• Combine drills with short, slow swimming intervals.

🏁 Final Thoughts

Learning how to breathe efficiently in front crawl is a process — but one that pays off with increased endurance, comfort, and confidence. By integrating these beginner-friendly drills into your swim sessions, you'll overcome the most common breathing hurdles and build a more effective stroke from the start.