Strategies for Improving Front Crawl Starts and Finishes

In competitive swimming, every fraction of a second counts. While swimmers often focus on stroke mechanics and endurance, starts and finishes in front crawl can make or break a race. A strong start gives you an early lead, and a clean finish can be the difference between winning and losing.

Whether you're a competitive athlete or a coach helping swimmers refine their edge, this article shares effective strategies to improve front crawl starts and finishes for maximum speed and efficiency.

🏁 Why Starts and Finishes Matter

• A powerful start helps generate momentum and establish early race control.

• A fast, well-timed finish ensures you carry your speed to the wall without gliding or slowing down.

• Mistakes in these areas can result in lost time, disqualification, or missed PBs.

🚀 Strategies to Improve Front Crawl Starts

1. Perfect the Block Start Technique

A fast, explosive takeoff is essential.

Key elements:

• Feet staggered with dominant foot forward

• Toes gripping the edge or wedge of the starting block

• Head down, eyes focused on the water

• Hips slightly above shoulders for an explosive launch

Training Tip: Use resistance bands or medicine ball throws to build starting explosiveness in dryland sessions.

2. Master Streamlined Entry and Glide

The goal is to enter the water with minimal splash and maximum momentum.

Drill:

• Practice "rocket dives" focusing on body alignment and tight streamline

• Enter through one hole (head, arms, torso, legs all in line)

✅ Maintain tension through the core to stay straight and reduce drag

3. Optimize the Underwater Dolphin Kick

This is often the fastest part of the race after the dive.

• Perform 4–6 strong dolphin kicks before breaking the surface

• Stay in streamline until your kick speed slows, then transition into strokes

• Don't surface too early — use up to 15 meters legally allowed

Drill: Vertical dolphin kicks with arms in streamline position (10–20 seconds)

4. Time Your Breakout Stroke

Transition smoothly from underwater phase into full-speed freestyle.

Tip: Begin your first arm stroke just as your head breaks the surface — not before, not after.

✅ Avoid popping straight up or gliding too long, which kills momentum.

🏁 Strategies to Improve Front Crawl Finishes

1. Maintain Stroke Tempo to the Wall

Many swimmers slow down or glide into the finish — a critical mistake.

• Count your strokes during training to know how many you need from the backstroke flags (5 meters out)

• Never breathe in the last 5 strokes before the wall

Drill: “No Glide Finish” — Swim fast 15m segments and sprint to the wall without pausing.

2. Use an Aggressive Last Stroke

A strong final stroke finishes the race, not a soft reach.

• If you’re too close, shorten the stroke

• If you're too far, extend and lunge with force

Practice Tip: Simulate variable distances from the wall in practice to rehearse adjustment decisions.

3. Train with Finish-Focused Sets

Build muscle memory to finish under fatigue.

Sample Set:

• 6×50m front crawl with a sprint final 10 meters

• Focus: fast finish, no breathing last 5 meters

📋 Pro Tips for Coaches and Swimmers

• 🧠 Use video analysis to check start angles, streamline, and final stroke timing

• 🧭 Mark flags at 5m and count strokes to plan finishes

• 🗣️ Use cues like “explode,” “streamline tight,” and “finish like a punch”

• 🔁 Include start/finish reps in main sets, not just warm-ups

• 🕒 Time the dive + breakout separately to track progress

🔁 Sample Start & Finish Training Set

Main Set (Short Course):

• 4x25m dive starts, streamline + breakout only

• 4x25m sprint to flags, focus on aggressive finish

• 6x50m @ 90% effort, last 15m no breath + hard finish

Cool down with sculling and streamline drills.

🏁 Final Thoughts

Front crawl starts and finishes are often overlooked, yet they play a major role in competitive success. By practicing explosive takeoffs, clean underwater transitions, and fast, aggressive finishes, swimmers can shave critical seconds off their race times. Consistency, repetition, and awareness are the keys to making these elements automatic under pressure.