Front crawl: breathes too late

Turns to breathe after the arm has already recovered, so the breath is rushed and the arm pauses.

Activities that help

• Breathe with the Pull – Timing drill: the head starts to turn as that arm begins to push back, and returns as the arm recovers.
• Catch-Up Crawl – One hand waits on a float until the other arm catches up – slows front crawl down so swimmers can feel each part.
• Pull Buoy Crawl – Front crawl with a pull buoy between the thighs so swimmers can concentrate on the arm action and breathing timing.
• Single-Arm Front Crawl – One arm works while the other stays extended in front – isolates the arm action and breathing to the working side.