Respiration is the gift you probably would like to return while practising crawl. It feels unnatural. It is not easy to master this when not used Front crawl breathing drills? how come you open your mouth? and blow out the water then recover your arms and take in the air?
You may also find the correct front crawl kick but managing to do it in the water is always the worst experience.
Therefore, for people who are not easy to swim the most commonly used stroke style, the following two drills will help you to breathe easier underwater.
Techniques for Efficient Front Crawl Breathing drill
Effective front crawl breathing drill involves mastering body rotation, exhaling underwater, and timing your breaths. Body rotation helps streamline movement and reduce drag, enabling smoother, more efficient strokes.
Exhaling underwater continuously through the nose or mouth prevents carbon dioxide build-up and allows for quick inhalation when the head turns.
Breathing timing should be synchronized with the stroke cycle, ideally when one arm is pulling back in the water, ensuring a swift and efficient breath. Mastering these techniques can significantly enhance your swimming performance.
Science to the rescue!
Before getting into the breathing drills for the front crawl there comes a need for a brief take on respiration.
When you use your normal breath about 75% of the air in your lungs is not exhausted. It’s still in my throat, and it tastes like shit.
When you breathe, you do breathing exercises to exercise more of the air capacity and hence improve the aerobic turnover.
This kind of work will improve your swimming as you delay the start of oxygen debt and the formation of lactic acid in your muscles- this will make your muscles feel tired and they will also be in pain.
Before moving forward to the breathing exercises, you must perform all drills, from one to three, in succession. Sports people aspiring to the highest levels, even the best among them, incorporate regular breathing exercises in their training programs.
Top 6 Front crawl breathing Drills
Drill 1. Breathing Exercise
It is of great essence to be fully sure of how to exhale painlessly underwater and don’t panic and waste your time running your head for the surface.
Bend your knees, sink to the water level, and rest your chin on the surface. Inhale a deep breath until your lungs are full and descend deeper under the water until the border of your goggles is just some inches below the water.
Then breathe out again very slowly while counting to make sure your lungs are empty. Repeat the following exercise six times.
Bounce with a couple of bubbles on the surface, and then go back down for another one long breath of rich air.
Finally, your lungs ought to feel wider than your chest and a full breath should be accomplished. Endeavour to expand for more, second counting is a good tool for it.
Drill 2. Kicking
Start doing breathing techniques with a kicking drill and then you won’t be stressed much about your inhaling with arm strokes.
Having the kickboard, swim forwards with your face in the water and count to 6 seconds throwing out all of the air in your lung from this exercise.
On the count of six, raise your head to the side (the way you do in regular freestyle swimming) and inhale a powerful one breath as if your lungs are filled with air.
As your lungs are full, return your face underwater and exhale the air slowly and equally while counting to six.
Perform this same exercise for the whole extent of the length. Swim the number of lengths that feel appropriate until you become comfortable with your breathing.
May you need to check out this
Top 8 front crawl breathing technique for beginners
HOW TO SWIM FRONT CRAWL SLOWLY?
Drill 3. Full Stroke
As your confidence increases in exhaling underwater and taking a sharp breath to the side, introduce slow and long strokes of your arms.
When your face is in water, you will have to exhale until all air is fully removed from your lungs.
Point your face to one side and then make a single big inhale as taught previously.
Now, plunge your head quickly under the water.
Drill 4: Stationary Exhales
The Stationary exhale drills target the exhalation part while in place. To do this drill, the athlete should stay or float in the shallow end of the pool and fully put the face into the water.
Breathe out gradually through your nose or mouth in long slow breaths until the lungs are completely emptied.
This exercise enables swimmers to become quite accustomed to submersion and exhaling as they turn their heads to inhale during strokes. It is possible to enhance confidence and train breathing patterns by the constant practice of stationary exhales.
Drill 5: Kickboard Drill
The Kickboard Drill is a learning activity that is intended to improve body rotation and breathing coordination. Using a kickboard, the swimmer grasps the kickboard with both arms, extends the arms, and uniformly kicks the legs.
You should concentrate on turning your body sideways with each kick as you do it in the front crawl style. When you move to a new position, learn to turn your head to the side to inhale, but your face should remain entirely under the water while exhaling.
This drill is useful in getting the body rotation and breathing connected to a more efficient stroke.
Drill 6: Single Arm Stroke.
The Single Arm Swim focuses on one arm of the swimmer to improve stroke strokes and breathing patterns.
Only swim using one arm while holding the other one at either side or in front with a kickboard. This drill helps to focus on the pull and timing of the breath.
Keep the active arm in line with the body and turn your head when breathing. Swimming with one arm forces you to concentrate on each phase of the stroke and strengthens your breathing skills by using both limbs to balance the front crawl.
Repeat this step by step till you reach the end.
Check your breathing if you feel comfortable and continue swimming. If you have not improved as yet, stay with a relaxation exercise or a kicking drill a few more times.
Don’t return to your old habits. Find out how to use this technique as a matter of course.
