Two common hurdles in learning this stroke are 1) breathing and 2) having an effective pull.

When trying to breathe, make sure you have exhaled all the air from the lungs and then roll your head and shoulders together so your ear is still in the water but your mouth is out. Roll to the point that you are looking at the lane rope and you have one shoulder out of the water. This will allow you to inhale air with minimal disruption to your body position and momentum in the water.

To have an effective pull make sure your fingers are together and your handle resembles a “paddle”. The idea is that you will hold a portion of water between your finger tips and your elbow and by pressing against this portion of water during your pull as you propel yourself forwards.

A great way to break down the complex stroke of freestyle is to try single arm freestyle, alternating every lap. This allows the isolation of the breathing and pulling skills to just one side of the body for greater focus and feel of what is happening during the movement.