I've watched hundreds, if not thousands of swimming videos and this is absolutely the best concise explanation of proper freestyle arm movement. Thank you!!!

Note that she exits the water pinkie (little finger) first. So avoiding pushing against the water with the palm of the hand which would act to push her hips down and cause drag.

This is super helpful. Coming back to swimming after multiple decades out of the water and lung cancer, it's taken most of the season to find my stroke. I'll definitely add this to my drills.

Thankyou Brenton! This is the best analysis video i have ever seen! Have literally taken down notes from different time stamps and I will be working on them. The drill in the end is also something which I want to practice at my swim today! Super thanks! Very helpful! Again, I can’t thank you more🙏!!

Great video and explanation! You mentioned a lot o swimmers apply too much power too soon, i would love to have a dedicated video on this, explaining how to apply power properly throughout catch and power phases and how one can train to do it correctly!

Thank you for the channel and videos! I have started to take classes, strong anxiety in the water; after changing teacher, things changes dramatically! He has helped me a lot, not like the other one that was getting angry as I was evolving very slowly and with a lot of fear. I appreciate this kind of videos. I am now learning freestyle and I find it very useful to watch videos! i really like it, more than breaststroke, and I hope to continue to learn and be more confident every day

Thank you! I'm gonna use that drill from here on out. I already do a few laps with fins and snorkel, I'll add the four arm positions.

Thank you so much! I am 70 and improving my technique. With the help of a coach, but you are an excellent co-coach and she appreciates that I do some research myself. You have broken down the arm movement really well😊

Thanks for explaining so thorougly, especially the parts with the degrees for arm movements. It should help when I'm practicing.

Another great video thanks mate. There's always a nugget in there that'll help with something... this time is was thinking of "forward elbow" as much as "high elbow". Looking forward to getting to Aus & having a session, this year is the goal.

Love this, I had the privilege of attending Hell Week in Thailand in 2023 - I love to watch these videos to refresh and help get me back on track ❤

Such a fantastic video!! Ty

Amazing- thanks a lot for such a great breakdown

Thank You!! Great Video!!!

Thank you very much for this info! Now it makes sense why I was wasting so much energy with those straight hand strokes

Excellent explanation amazing video! Thanks

love your work!!!! so informative its .. thank you!

I think it's a feeling of swimming along, lifting my body and head higher in the water, less resistance noted. And using a more rapid kick helps. I have found improvement doing that on my front crawl. It also helps a better pull. Not taking away your very good advice sir.

Can't wait to try this tomorrow

You're a great teacher! Wonderful breakdown of this stroke. Thank you!

Fabulous. Really helpful. Thankyou

always looking for improvement 💘 GREAT VID 👀

great video..well explained

I love the ymca drill!

Great video. Very helpful

Would be nice to see this with someone going literally half her speed. This is not representative for amateur long distance swimmers.

Your videos have dramatically improved my swimming, Thank you! One thing I haven’t seen you cover is the out of the water section of the arm in the freestyle stroke. Especially what stage your underwater arm should ideally have reached when the fingers on the other arm start to break the water

I've found that feeling like i'm slightly pushing my elbow out as i start the catch helps with getting the forearm vertcal. & engages the lats for the pull, taking pressure off the shoulder

Great video thank you

Excellent video and great description and analysis of the arm stroke. However, I feel that the coordination with the kick could have been confirmed early in the video (albeit this is secondary to the point of the video), particularly around the 1:07-1:10 and when the video snaps for a brief period to a second swimmer. As well, and perhaps related to the kick timing, is the overhead shots of the first swimmer where we clearly see thoracic spine lateral movement and the head oscillating to the breathing side, with the result of a slight bend backwards to the breathing side. Given that the arm movements of the first swimmer are great, what’s going on to cause that thoracic bend and increased drag when breathing? My bet is the slight off timing of the downstroke kick with the opposite hand entry…the exact hand entry, that is, not the slightly delayed hand entry/downstroke of the first swimmer. In contrast, the second swimmer nails this “check point”. Further along the video we see the first swimmer nailing the catch with the same side downstroke kick, but it’s a tiny bit delayed, and the body rotation is also a tiny bit delayed (maybe even missed at the hand entry point, and being made up slightly later, also contributing to the thoracic bend). Yes, the main point of the video is the arm movements, and that is done brilliantly with the digitizing and discussion. However, perhaps what’s missed with this isolation is the coordination with the lower body, which is something we’re seeing brilliantly demonstrated by elite swimmers.

Perfect !!!

Super helpful! Walt from Ann Arbor

Awesome. Thanks a lot

A nice powerful kick

One important question I haven't seen much explanation for: Right before the hand leaves the water at the hips, are you supposed to slightly rotate it or just keep pushing with the palm oriented to the surface? I can't fully tell from the video.

I very much enjoyed this video and I very much enjoyed this swimmer 😍😍😍😍 lovely lovely rhythms ❤❤❤❤

Now I know what means "High elbow", good video.

thanks......

What was her pace approximately? And did she swim at 80-100% of her max or she just keep her cruise speed which she can hold for long distances like 1000-2000m. Thanks for the video. It’s very informative and useful

bravo a vous

Great video. What do you think about branching out and doing videos on the other three strokes?

What about short distance sprinting, do you have any analysis with a straight arm swim? Thanks!

Please comment on the 11 min. 37 sec mark of the video where she appears to be snaking through the water. Could this be caused by the light bulb arm stroke design that you mention next in the video. Wouldn't this snaking increase drag?

I think a problem with the catch for beginners is that is that it is so taxing to pull the whole way, especially when you probably are a bit unbalanced and create a lot of drag. For beginners I would advice finding a balanced and efficient position and then focus on a good catch. Probably do some dips to add some strength, and add some flexibility work. This is what I have found for myself at least. I can perform a good catch but after like 300 meters I am tired and my muscles are heavy and tight from the effort, and perform a good full catch is impossible even though I know how it should be done.

Thank you sir. The video was helpful. I'm more of a beginner, from Nigeria, but I stopped for a while after my online coach passed away__coach Tracy Maccoux of Minnesota(she was critically ill). So I got back to swimming about two weeks ago, and I started developing serious neck pains after my swims. Also I, I feel my hands get stucked at the back while trying to recover them for the next arm pull. Any tip on how to improve will be appreciated. And hence forth I'll be glued to your channel.Thanks!

Bit of cross-over with her non-breathing side arm entry when she breathes? Her hips sort of wiggle-waggle as a result.

the way she breathes stands out to me. it looks very efficient. if i could do that...

👋👋👋👋👋👋👋thanks

Thank you so much! One question - you said the arms must be continuously in motion, but then what about"catch up" where we are told to make sure one arm touches the thumb or catches up with the other arm before the second arm starts its pull...? Won't there be that fraction when there are both arms in front together for a small glide.

I would love it so much if anyone at all could help me with why my shoulder is so painful. I have a coach and apparently I’m not sweeping in or out or doing anything funny but I wonder if I’m pulling when my shoulder is still really extended forwards. I just don’t know. Or internally rotating ..??It’s really holding me back. Help!!❤

It looks she's doing a strong 6 beat kick, with a very high stroke rate and probably around 1:10/100m pace? None of this is remotely applicable to age group swimmers trying to improve their catch and pull. With a weak two beat kick and much lower stroke rate, the age grouper's body position will be much less streamlined. Meaning they won't be able to replicate the technique shown in any way shape or form realistically. Even in the abstract as a "model" it's not really applicable or attainable. I do think age group swimmers might be able to glean something useful from an elite distance swimmer doing their slowest, most relaxed stroke rate and speed.

Why is it better to straighten and extend your arm in the water instead of in the air?

Finally, a swimmer can be doing everything right but is doing over 20 arm strokes per pool. Does this mean is doing something wrong?

Good video. Good style. Some nitpick possible on the left arm (slight crossover with left arm on entry and in some strokes an awkward angle to the elbow). Could be due to the tempo induced 2 stroke breathing to the right as the 'wobble' only occurs on the non-breath left side. It's no way near a dropped arm so It's really nitpicking! :)

Why she's not spreading her fingers?

❤️❤️❤️🏊🏊🏊❤️❤️❤️🏊🏊🏊❤️❤️❤️

Lovely swimmer however. It appears that she is slightly dropping her elbow at the extension of her arm and also massive cross shown when you freeze the head on shot?

excellent video