Freestyle is the most popular and seemingly the easiest stroke to master. In order to fully utilize the stroke it is important that you have correct timing of the stroke. Timing includes balance, rotation, pull and kick.
Focus on Your Core
Many people think to go faster in the pool they need to kick harder and move their arms faster. Rather then going faster, these people are expending more energy then needed. Instead, to go faster you must focus on your core and your rotation. As you are swimming freestyle, think about pushing your belly button into your spine, which will keep your core solid. Next, imagine a rod is connected to your shoulder blades and your tail bone. This rod forces you to rotate your entire torso in one movement.
Breathing Is Important
Many beginner swimmers try to swim many strokes with out breathing, thinking that it will make their stroke smoother. In reality, when you breath correctly your stroke and breath will work together. It is recommended to get in the habit of breathing every three strokes, e.g., stroke with right arm, left arm, right arm breath, then left arm, right arm, left arm breath. By breathing on both sides -- bilateral breathing -- it forces the swimmer to remain balanced in their stroke and in race situations gives them full sight of the pool and their competition.
Proper Entry, Finish and Recovery
Proper form in the entry, finish and recovery of your freestyle stroke will help prevent shoulder injuries as well as increase the efficiency of your stroke. To begin, swim one lap with your right arm while holding your left arm at your side. Focus on hand entry slightly above your head. Then pull under your body from front to back, making sure your fingertips face the bottom of the pool at all times. Next, complete the stroke with a strong finish; your hand should exit the water below your hip. Finally bring your arm around, over the top of the water. This should not be a lifting motion, rather an easy recovery motion. Repeat with your left arm and then use both arms. Once you have mastered this drill you will notice that rotation in your core will be timed correctly with your arm cycle.
Let your Legs Help
To make your freestyle stroke more powerful it is important that the timing of your kick matches your arms. There are three important things that will help this happen. First, make sure you are kicking from your hips, not your knees. Next, focus on kicking two kicks for each arm stroke, which will also improve your timing and increase the power of your stroke. This is known as the six-beat kick. Finally, more power does not come from a harder kick, but rather from a faster kick that matches with the arm cycle. To work on your kick specifically, save five to ten minutes of each workout and complete a kicking-only set and follow up with a sprint set putting your entire stroke together.
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