How to Boost Your Freestyle Speed on Your Own

Freestyle is the fastest and most commonly used stroke in swimming, but improving speed requires more than just swimming harder. If you’re training alone without a coach or team, you can still make significant gains by focusing on technique, endurance, and strength. With the right plan, self-guided swimmers can boost freestyle speed efficiently and effectively.

🏊 1. Focus on Streamline Efficiency

The fastest part of your swim is off the wall or start, so mastering streamline can shave seconds off your times.

• Push off with arms tightly squeezed above your head.

• Engage your core to keep your body straight.

• Minimize drag by keeping your head tucked between your arms.

Pro Tip: Film yourself or use pool mirrors to check body alignment.

🔄 2. Perfect Stroke Mechanics

Speed in freestyle comes from an efficient balance of stroke length and stroke rate.

• High elbow catch: Bend your arm early to maximize pulling power.

• Hand entry: Enter fingertips first in line with your shoulder to avoid cross-over.

• Rotation: Rotate from your hips and shoulders, not just your arms.

Drill: Fingertip Drag Drill – Skim your fingertips across the water during recovery to reinforce high elbows.

🫁 3. Improve Breathing Technique

Inefficient breathing can slow you down.

• Breathe quickly to the side with minimal head lift.

• Exhale fully underwater so you’re ready to inhale immediately.

• Practice bilateral breathing (every 3 strokes) to balance stroke mechanics.

Drill: Breathing Pyramid – Swim 25m breathing every 3 strokes, then 5, then 7, and back down to 3.

💪 4. Build Strength and Power

You don’t need a gym membership to develop the strength that supports faster freestyle.

• Dryland exercises: Push-ups, planks, and resistance bands for shoulder and core strength.

• Kick sets: Use a kickboard or vertical kicking to build leg endurance.

• Pull sets: Use a pull buoy to isolate arm strength and refine technique.

⏱️ 5. Incorporate Speed Sets

To swim faster, you must train your body to handle higher intensities.

• Examples:

  • 10 × 25m sprints with 20–30s rest

  • 6 × 50m at race pace with fins

  • Broken 100s (swim 25 fast, 25 easy, repeat)

Pro Tip: Mix sprint training with aerobic endurance sets to build both speed and stamina.

🧘 6. Prioritize Recovery and Flexibility

Speed comes from consistency, and injuries can derail progress.

• Stretch shoulders, hips, and ankles regularly.

• Incorporate rest days to allow muscles to recover.

• Hydrate before and after training sessions.

✅ Final Takeaway

Boosting your freestyle speed on your own is absolutely possible with a structured approach. By improving streamline, refining mechanics, building strength, and incorporating speed-focused sets, you’ll notice measurable improvements in both speed and efficiency.

With consistency and smart self-guided training, you can achieve your freestyle performance goals — no coach required.