We have broken the breath technique into four key phases:
1. Familiarise hip rotation (00:46)
2. Breath starting position (01:22)
3. Rotate to breathe (02:05)
4. Return your head (03:24)
Check back here regularly to compare your practice against the breath technique's key steps. Use the index below to navigate to the relevant chapter for your training:
00:00 Breathing Technique intro
00:46 Familiarise Hip Rotation
01:22 Breath Starting Position
02:05 Rotate To Breathe
03:24 Return Your Head
04:03 Full Breath Recap
05:15 Top Tip
05:34 Troubleshoot Problems
Below are links to videos referenced in our guide:
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The in-breath (inhale) should always occur when your mouth is outside the water. Never exhale while your mouth is outside the water; only inhale. Exhaling during the inhale phase of the stroke reduces the available time to inhale, causing swimmers to become breathless and lose stroke control. If you need to exhale outside the water, you have most likely held your breath entirely or at some point during your last exhale. The exhale should only occur whilst your mouth is under the water.
When swimming freestyle, whilst exhaling, maintain a stable head position looking at the ground underneath your body. A low head holds your body and head position higher relative to the water's surface. A high body position requires less rotation from the head when it is time to turn your head to inhale. A common mistake of new swimmers is looking forward when exhaling, placing the mouth closer to the surface, but when the head rotates to breathe from a forward position, the mouth struggles to breach the water surface, forcing the swimmer to pull their head back further, encouraging the body to sink.
Do not change your technique to accommodate your breath. Correct breath timing in freestyle involves fitting the movement of the head (the breath) into the current stroke.
