Common Swimming Mistakes and How to Fix Them (All Strokes, Breakouts & Turns)

Even the most experienced swimmers make technical errors — and for beginners, it’s easy to fall into habits that slow you down or wear you out. The good news? With awareness and a few smart corrections, you can transform your efficiency and speed almost overnight.

Here are some of the most common swimming faults we see across all four strokes, including starts, breaks, and turns — drawn directly from the same templates we use in our video analysis.

Freestyle Faults

1. Dropped Elbow in the Catch

Why it matters: Leads to inefficient pulling and loss of propulsion. Fix: Focus on high-elbow sculling drills, single-arm with snorkel.

2. Over-Rotating the Head to Breathe

Why it matters: Breakouts streamline, drops hips. Fix: Breathe with one goggle in the water; rotate body, not just the neck.

3. Sinking Legs

Why it matters: Increases drag, slows speed. Fix: Kick from hips, engage core, neutral head position.

4. Overuse of Quads in the Kick

Why it matters: Fatigues legs quickly. Fix: Straighter-leg kick from glutes and hips, especially for distance.

5. Head Position Too High or Forward

Why it matters: Disrupts alignment. Fix: Eyes down or slightly ahead to maintain streamline.

Backstroke Faults

1. Straight Arm Pull Underwater

Why it matters: Misses effective catch phase. Fix: High elbow catch with bent arm, thumb exits first.

2. Shallow Kick or Knee Bending Too Much

Why it matters: Causes drag and wastes energy. Fix: Small, continuous kicks from hips; reduce knee action.

3. Head Moves During Stroke

Why it matters: Disrupts balance and alignment. Fix: Keep head still; imagine balancing a cup on the forehead.

4. Poor Body Rotation

Why it matters: Reduces efficiency. Fix: Work on core-driven rotation, alternating shoulder lift drills.

Breaststroke Faults

1. Late or Shallow Breathing

Why it matters: Breakouts timing and rhythm. Fix: Initiate breath early during arm pull: pull-breathe-kick-glide.

2. Rushing the Glide

Why it matters: Eliminates the most efficient phase. Fix: Count or pause briefly after kick to feel forward momentum.

3. Wide Kick or Toes Not Turned Out

Why it matters: Reduces propulsion. Fix: Toes out, heels up; practice breaststroke kick on back.

4. Dropped Chest and Head

Why it matters: Creates drag. Fix: Maintain head-spine alignment, keep upper back high in water.

Butterfly Faults

1. Poor Timing Between Arms and Kick

Why it matters: Creates choppy rhythm. Fix: Drill the 2-kick timing: one on entry, one on push.

2. Arms Recovering Too Wide

Why it matters: Slows tempo, wastes energy. Fix: Relax shoulders, swing arms low and forward.

3. Head Lifting Too Early to Breathe

Why it matters: Kills momentum. Fix: Breathe when chin is just at surface, not before.

4. Incomplete Underwater Pull

Why it matters: Wastes propulsion. Fix: Pull through fully to hips, then recover.

Starts, Breakouts, and Turns

1. Poor Streamline Off Walls

Why it matters: Increases resistance right after push-off. Fix: Arms locked tight behind ears, head neutral, body straight.

2. Breathing Too Early in the Breakout

Why it matters: Kills momentum from the start. Fix: Take the first breath after at least 2–3 strokes.

3. Slow or Wide Turn Movements

Why it matters: Adds time and reduces rhythm. Fix: Compact, tight turns; tuck and rotate quickly.

4. Gliding Into the Wall

Why it matters: Wastes momentum and ruins timing. Fix: Accelerate into the wall, use last stroke to initiate turn.

Final Thoughts

Swimming is a sport of small margins and smart technique. Spotting and fixing these common mistakes doesn’t just make you faster — it makes swimming feel easier and more enjoyable.

Want tailored feedback on your stroke? Book a video swim analysis and let’s turn your mistakes into milestones.

Swim smart. Swim strong. Swim free.