PERFECT YOUR TECHNIQUE.
UNLOCK YOUR PERFORMANCE.
Dedicated stroke development for freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly — observation, assessment, correction and personalised drills that make good technique automatic.
Effort is not the same as progress.
Many swimmers work hard for years without getting faster, because the effort is being spent fighting a flawed stroke. Correct technique lets a swimmer put the same effort into actual propulsion. That is why every program at EPIC SWIMMING AQUATIC starts with the fundamentals of body position, breathing and catch.
Our technique work is not about making swimmers look different. It is about making their existing effort more productive — less resistance, better propulsion, easier breathing and a stroke that holds together under fatigue and at race pace.
- Every correction starts with observation, not assumption
- One element at a time, practised until the pattern is reliable
- Drills chosen to match the swimmer's actual weakness
- Progress checked by re-observation, not by feel alone
Four strokes, four technical profiles.
Each stroke has its own mechanics, its own common faults and its own correction path. Below is what we focus on for each of the four competitive strokes.
Freestyle
The fastest and most demanding stroke to master. Freestyle efficiency comes from a long, streamlined body that moves as one unit, with an early vertical forearm catch and a relaxed recovery.
- Body alignment — a long, horizontal line from fingertips to feet with a neutral head
- Breathing coordination — exhalation underwater, rotation-led inhale, and a rhythm that does not break the stroke
- Efficient arm recovery — a relaxed, high recovery that does not swing the shoulder wide
- Catch and pull technique — initiating the pull at the correct angle with a stable forearm
- Flutter kick — amplitude from the hip, with relaxed ankles and a steady rhythm
- Stroke efficiency — reducing drag through consistent body shape and an early vertical catch
Backstroke
A stroke that rewards balance and timing. The key is rotation rather than arm windmilling, a steady head position with the eyes looking up and slightly toward the feet, and a kick that anchors the body.
- Body rotation — rotation through the shoulders and hips drives the arm entry
- Arm timing — the entering hand reaches to a consistent target with the shoulder rotated, not reaching over the top
- Head position — neck relaxed, gaze upward, chin never lifted out of the water
- Kicking coordination — a consistent kick rhythm that keeps the hips from drifting
- Straight swimming alignment — a straight line in the water with minimal lateral movement
Breaststroke
Often the most technical of the four strokes. Breaststroke is a timing stroke: the kick, the pull, the glide and the breath must arrive in the right order, every single cycle.
- Effective leg kick — a narrow, symmetrical kick with the heels recovering close to the buttocks
- Arm pull timing — arms press outward then in, finishing level with the shoulders
- Breathing synchronisation — the head rises only as the arms press, and returns as they extend
- Streamlined glide — a long, forward-gliding position at the end of the pull
- Stroke coordination — one continuous rhythm rather than separate movements
Butterfly
The most demanding stroke in the pool. Butterfly is a wave, not a sequence — the body moves as a single, travelling undulation driven by the chest and hips, with the arms entering the water in front of the head.
- Dolphin kick — a wave originating from the chest and passing through the hips to the feet
- Undulation technique — the hips lead the body up and down, with the knees following
- Simultaneous arm recovery — both arms enter the water together, wide and in front
- Breathing timing — the head lifts on the forward wave, never on the downbeat
- Rhythm and propulsion — two kicks per arm cycle, and a continuous rolling entry
A disciplined process, not a quick fix.
Technique correction is a cycle: watch carefully, identify the fault, train the correction, then re-watch to confirm it. This is the method our coaches use for every swimmer who joins a technique program.
Stroke Observation
Watching the swimmer swim from multiple angles — head, side, and from behind — to see exactly what the body is doing, rather than assuming the fault.
Technical Assessment
A structured evaluation of body position, alignment, timing, breathing pattern and propulsion, benchmarked against the stroke's technical model.
Body-Position Correction
Rebuilding the shape of the swim — flatter hips, a neutral spine, a stable head carriage and a genuinely streamlined line.
Breathing Improvement
Making the breath efficient and non-disruptive: correct head position, exhalation pattern, and a timing that works with the stroke cycle.
Kick Technique Refinement
Reducing kick drag, establishing amplitude from the hip, and building a steady, relaxed rhythm that supports the upper body.
Arm Movement Analysis
Examining entry, catch, path and exit — then removing the movements that create drag or slow the stroke.
Streamlining Techniques
Optimising the streamline off the wall and off the blocks: a tight shape, a clean push, and a breakout that preserves speed.
Swimming Efficiency
Measuring progress in strokes-per-length and perceived effort, and turning those numbers into the next set of priorities.
Personalised Drills
A drill set chosen for the specific correction needed — because the best drill is the one that targets the swimmer's actual weakness.
Progress Monitoring
Regular re-observation and re-assessment so that a corrected movement is confirmed before the next element is introduced.
Video-Assisted Technique Review
Where available, technique sessions can be supported by video-assisted review so that swimmers can see their own stroke from the coach's perspective. Availability, format and consent are confirmed individually with each family before it is used.
Small faults, large consequences.
These are the issues we see most often in swimmers who have learned to swim without structured technical coaching.
Head & Neck
Looking forward instead of down in freestyle, lifting the chin in backstroke, or craning the neck during the butterfly breath — all of which slow the swimmer and strain the neck.
Body Shape
Legs sinking below the hips, knees breaking the surface, or a V-shaped body that creates drag. Body position is the cheapest speed available in swimming.
Breathing Pattern
Breathing forward instead of rotating, holding the breath instead of exhaling, or breathing so hard that the next stroke collapses.
Catch & Entry
Entering too wide, reaching past the centre line, or pressing too early — the difference between pulling the water and simply pushing water away.
Kick & Rhythm
Bent knees, a kick that is too fast, or a flutter that stops when the arms tire — rhythm should never deteriorate as fatigue builds.
Streamline & Finish
A broken streamline off the wall, an early breakout, or a glided finish that costs a fraction of a second — which is a fraction that matters.
Let us find the fault that is costing you time.
Book a technique assessment and we will observe your stroke, identify what is limiting your efficiency, and give you a clear correction plan with the drills to match it.
- Full stroke observation and technical assessment
- A prioritised correction plan, not a long list
- Personalised drill sets for home and pool practice
- Re-assessment to confirm the change has landed
Freestyle
Alignment, breathing, catch, kick and efficiency — the foundation of fast swimming.
Backstroke
Rotation-led arm entry, head control and a straight, balanced line.
Breaststroke
Timing, glide and a seamless kick-pull-breath rhythm.
Butterfly
Dolphin kick, travelling undulation and a breath timed to the wave.