3 ways to reduce your freestyle stroke count

We talk about SPL all the time in practice: Strokes per Length.

It’s an excellent indicator of the efficiency of your freestyle.

How can you reduce the number of strokes it takes to get from one end of the pool to the other?

1. Roll and reach: Body roll is so important to make sure you rotate along your long axis. The arms, torso and hips roll together as the arm that is entering the water spears forward.

2. Ride the glide: Keep driving the spearing arm forward as you fully extend. You should feel the stretch in your hip on the same side.

3. Set the catch: As you finish your glide forward, be sure to find a connection with the water before you push water backward with the paddle you’ve created with your hand and forearm.

Check out Marko in this video from when he visited one of our practices this summer. Focus on one of the three tips as you watch.

Oh, and don’t be discouraged if you can’t hit an SPL of 8! That’s world-class. Just worry about your own count and try to reduce it by 1.