Ever watched someone glide past you in the water & thought: "How are they making that look so easy?!"
These are the top 5 technique tweaks that'll transform your front crawl, from Catch (NOWCA's Official Coaching Partner).
Spoiler: silky smooth swimming isn't about trying harder. It's about removing what slows you down.
1️⃣ Head position - look down, not forward. Otherwise your legs will sink.
2️⃣ Body position - small kick, high legs. Your body needs to be as high & flat as possible.
3️⃣ Trickle breathing - exhale slowly underwater. Never hold your breath.
4️⃣ Efficient kick - light & narrow. Don't kick too hard as it'll steal your energy.
5️⃣ Nail your catch - use your hand & forearm as a paddle. This is where you're power actually comes from.
You don't need to be naturally gifted. You just need to know what to fix.
Comment FRONT CRAWL below & we'll send you:
- The full article breaking down each technique
- A link to get your personalised training plan & video technique course with Catch
& if you've read up to here - you deserve a prize! Use code NOWCA26 for 30 days free on Catch Gold, then £25 off your membership 🏊
Swimming aimlessly is over. Because Catch just got a glow up.
Catch is a world-first for swimmers - the swim coach app we always wished we had.
Think of it as the Runna for swimming - but with more focus on learning.
Because the fastest way to transform your swimming isn’t just grinding out lengths… it’s improving your technique.
Here are the features that make Catch Gold unique:
📋 Personalised training plan - no two plans are the same. We meet you exactly where you’re at, so your plan fits you perfectly
🎥 Weekly video lessons - learn the technique that’ll transform your swims
🔧 Customisable sessions - tweak venue (pool or open water), session length & intensity to fit your life
💬 Chat with your coach - message Rebecca, our Head Coach, any time
… & heaps more
Catch Gold gives you everything you need to swim smoother, faster & with more confidence - at a fraction of the price of a 1-to-1 coach.
Want to dip a toe in first? Catch Free gives you a monthly technique lesson + 8 sessions to put it into practice.
Comment CATCH & we’ll send you the link to get started for free today 💙
It’s here. Catch is live.
We’ve spent the last year building the swim coach app we always wished we had.
Stuck doing the same swims & not improving? That ends today, friends.
Catch Gold gives you a personalised plan + weekly video lessons matched to your goals - then lets you customise every session to fit your life (length, venue, intensity & more).
Personalised, flexible & built for busy swimmers who want to transform their technique & fitness - fast.
Prefer to dip your toe in? Catch Free gives you a monthly technique lesson + 8 session plans to put it into practice.
Comment CATCH & we’ll send you the link to try Gold or Free.
We can’t wait for you to give it a spin.
Rebecca & Will
Catch's Co-Founders
x
I’m one of the slowest swimmers at @ultraswim333
But you know what? That’s okay!
Because sport (especially open water swimming) doesn’t only belong to the fastest people. It belongs to people who keep showing up, the people who keep moving forward when they’re scared, and people who are still out there long after everyone else has finished breakfast.
I could spend this week embarrassed that I’m slower than most people here… OR I could remember that a few years ago, this version of my life would have felt impossible.
There will always be someone faster. But there are also thousands of people still sitting at home wondering if they’re capable of doing something like this at all.
So if you need a sign to start before you feel “good enough”, I promise you this is it.
Slow swimmers are still swimmers. And we still cover the same distance 🩵
You've signed up for an open swim event. Here's how to actually prepare for it 🏊
✅ Set your routine - 2-3 swims a week, in the calendar, make it a commitment
✅ Grab your kit - kickboard, pull buoy, paddles & flippers unlock real progress
✅ Swim smart - one technique focus per week, mix of drills, faster efforts & easy base swimming
✅ Take your swims outside. Open water confidence comes from spending time in open water
✅ Find your people - you don't have to do this alone
Final thing: start now & you'll arrive at the start line feeling cool as a cucumber.
👇 Two things:
Looking for a swim event? → Sign up for the Henley Classic (28 June) - it's amazing
Looking for a personalised training plan? Get Catch Gold (link in bio) & use the code HENLEYSWIM for a cheeky discount
We’ve arrived in Croatia for @ultraswim333 , after our long trip we’re tucking into some well deserved dinner and we’ve had our acclimatisation 1km swim!
I don’t think I expected it to be so hot here, the water was gorgeous! The people are wonderful!! And, we’ve been warned about sea urchins and putting our feet down without having a look first.
Excited to put training into practice tomorrow with two swims!
Are you a swimmer or triathlete who's never swum in open water before? Here's how to actually start 🏊
Step 1 - Find a supervised venue. Outdoor swimming centres & lifeguarded lakes are perfect. They're safe, welcoming & predictable.
Step 2 - Chat with the staff. They know the water temperature, the route, the distances. & if you're nervous, they'll reassure you.
Step 3 - Forget about distance. Just get in. Float. Try head-up breaststroke. Get used to the cold, the sky above you, not being able to see clearly underneath. That feeling of adjustment IS the session.
Step 4 - Reward yourself. Hot drink, slice of cake, whatever feels good. Your brain will want to come back. Which leads to...
Step 5 - Go back. Each time, you can push it a little further:
→ Put your face in
→ Swim a few front crawl strokes
→ Stay in for 2 mins, then 5, then 10
👇 Two things:
Ready to race? Check out The One On The River in Marlow in May by our friends at @theonerace.events
Looking for a personalised training plan that will build your confidence in both the pool & open water? Get Catch (link in bio) & use the code ONERACE for a discount
This will be me tomorrow morning, ready for my flight to Croatia to take part upon Ultraswim 33.3, where I’ll be swimming 33.3km over 4 days!
I’m so excited, but I’ve definitely been holding some nerves since I DNF’d the 12 hour overnight swim. Time to shake that off and have a great time with @catch.swim
A watery retreat in Scotland in April with @wilderness_wellbeing_ summed up in 6 seconds...
We're talking: bluebird skies nearly every single day. The clearest, bluest water we've ever swum in. A private island we booked just for us, freediving off the rocks while a pod of dolphins swam past. Secret waterfall pools.
We dived for scallops & cooked 20 of them that evening. We found a sauna on a beach in Torridon looking out over the sea. We hiked, stargazed, did sunset yin yoga & learned to ferment things we'd foraged.
The food was gut-friendly & genuinely the most comforting, nourishing thing we've eaten in years.
Water was the thread running through everything - the dips, the dives, the cold plunges. It reminded us exactly why we swim. Not just for fitness: for adventure.
Already excited for the next one 💙
We want your vote on this one 💪
We're thinking of building a swimming-specific strength & mobility programme - sitting right alongside your training plan on the Catch app. If enough of you are keen, we'll team up with an expert & get building.
Swimmers that improve fastest don't always swim the most. Research is showing that doing LESS swimming & more strength & mobility work can help you swim faster, further & more efficiently.
More strength & mobility = more power in the water, better technique, fewer injuries, faster times, further distances... Plus loads of wider long-term health benefits.
I've personally wanted something like this for AGES - to make me a stronger, more agile swimmer & also just a stronger human. But I feel it has to be swim-specific & personalised - not generic gym content. Something that actually complements your training plan & moves with you as you improve. & it'll be easy to keep track of how you're progressing & improving - like the rest of Catch.
So: would you actually use this? Yes or no - drop it below 👇
Rebecca (Catch's Co-Founder & Head Coach) 💙
Will has been in his tech den again 👨💻
Two new features just dropped for Catch Gold members:
🏊 **Swim insights** - Catch already knows how you're progressing vs your plan & adapts to you. Now after every swim, you'll get personalised feedback on how you're trending, tips for your next session & your milestones celebrated - whether you're swimming faster, further, more efficiently or more consistently. A coach in your pocket, every swim.
📱 **Sessions tab** - Nicer to look at & easier to use. Drag & drop your weekly sessions around, whatever life throws at you.
Try Catch Gold free for 30 days - personalised training plan, video technique course, 1:1 coach chat & a whole lot more. Link in bio 💙
Choppy water hits different 🌊
If you've ever swum in wavey conditions & wondered why everything suddenly feels 10x harder - this one's for you.
5 tips for keeping it together in chop:
1. Don't panic - it makes everything harder
2. Work with the waves, not against them
3. Don't let your body position & catch go
4. Chin up, not eyes up - when you breathe, lifting your head brings your mouth closer to the water, not away from it
5. Practice - it always feels like a shock at first. Until it doesn't!
Bonus tip: if you can breathe on both sides, use it. Breathing away from the chop is a serious advantage.
Follow for more swimming tips 💙
