Common Swimming Mistakes: Free and Back

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As a coach I see quite a few different mistakes that swimmers of all types make. I’m going to break down this and also use some illustrations.

Common Freestyle and Backstroke Mistakes

Freestyle, also referred to as front or forward crawl, is a “Long Axis” stroke and is by far the fastest and most common of the swimming strokes. Backstroke is the other long axis stroke and is quite possibly the best stroke ever (according to the survey I gave myself). Freestyle is performed on the front (with chest facing the bottom of the pool) while Backstroke is performed on your back.

If you are experiencing shoulder pain while swimming these strokes you are more than likely doing one of the following:

1. Pain on Top of your Shoulder (Trapezius/Deltoid): Crossing over on your stroke
   • This is easily fixed. Humans are strongest when our arms are straight out of the shoulders. Therefore your arms should extend from your shoulder in a straight line. Swimming this way may also help you to prevent other shoulder injuries.
2. Pain Inside your Shoulder – Potential Tendonitis/Bursitis (Rotator Cuff): Not Kicking Enough
   • Another easy fix simply work on your kick so that you have a leg driven stroke instead of just dragging the weight of your body and legs behind you.

Here are some images from Wikipedia that may also help you determine what a proper stroke technique is. Freestyle 1 – Freestyle 2 – Freestyle 3