Freestyle Fix: Leverage Your Lats for a Faster, Pain-Free Stroke

If you’re struggling with shoulder pain in the pool, addressing your swimming technique is one of the most important things you can do, in addition to improving your mobility and strength with exercises. Even the best shoulder strengthening program in the world won’t help if you continue making the same technique mistakes in the pool.

One specific stroke fault that contributes to shoulder pain is a lack of latissimus dorsi engagement during the freestyle pull. The lats are among the strongest muscles in your upper body and they play a significant role in your pull. Not engaging them properly results in catching less water with each stroke, placing more strain on your shoulder, and increasing your risk of injury.

Here are three common freestyle mistakes that lead to poor lat engagement and two cues to help you activate your lats more effectively in your stroke.

Freestyle Mistakes That Lead to Poor Lat Engagement

Swimming Flat

Swimming flat, or not having enough body rotation in the water, forces you to adopt a wider pull. This increases the amount of strain on your shoulders, reduces your distance per stroke, and decreases lat engagement. Using a wide pull is like trying to lift yourself out of the pool with your hands placed too far apart—it’s much harder than when your hands are closer to shoulder-width.

The proper amount of rotation varies among swimmers but generally falls within the 20- to 30-degree range. Experimenting with increased body rotation can help you find what feels best for your stroke. If you tend to swim flat, increasing your rotation can make your pull stronger and more efficient, taking stress off your shoulders.

Crossing Your Midline During Your Pull

Another common mistake is pulling across the midline of your body during your freestyle pull. Just as placing your hands too wide makes it difficult to lift yourself out of the pool, crossing your arms when lifting yourself out of the pool also makes it much harder—if not impossible.

Crossing your midline as you pull places excess strain on the front of the shoulder and rotator cuff. Instead, aim to keep your pull in line with your shoulders for better mechanics and increased lat engagement.

Dropping Your Elbow

Dropping your elbow during the freestyle pull is one of the most common stroke errors among Masters swimmers. This increases the amount of shoulder external rotation you go into during your pull, placing more stress on the rotator cuff and reducing lat engagement.

Instead, aim for a high elbow catch, using your entire arm to push against the water. This technique engages the lats more effectively, making your stroke more powerful while reducing strain on the rotator cuff.

If you struggle with dropping your elbow, incorporating drills that promote a high-elbow catch, such as fist drill or single-arm freestyle, is an effective way to help you avoid dropping your elbow.

Two Freestyle Tips to Improve Lat Engagement

Pull with Your Forearm

This cue is particularly helpful if you struggle with dropping your elbow during the pull. Pushing against the water with your entire forearm, not just your hand, encourages a high elbow catch as it prevents the elbow from dropping. This allows you to catch more water and engage your lats effectively, making your freestyle pull stronger and more efficient. Fist drill is excellent for teaching you how important your forearms are.

Start Your Pull Deeper

Many Masters swimmers begin their pull with their hands too close to the surface of the water. This position makes it more difficult to achieve an early vertical forearm or high-elbow catch, which increases the amount of strain on the shoulder, decreases your efficiency, and increases your risk of injury. Instead, start your pull with your hand 6–8 inches below the surface of the water, with your fingertips slightly pointed downward. This improves lat engagement as it’s easier for you to perform a high-elbow catch as you push against the water.

Engaging your lats during the freestyle pull helps take stress off your rotator cuff while improving stroke efficiency. Although building strong and stable shoulders is essential for Masters swimmers, refining stroke mechanics is just as important for reducing shoulder pain and preventing injuries.