The Art and Science of Moving Forward in Water

You’ve mastered the water. Now let’s move through it – with less effort and more impact.

In our last two newsletters, we explored the invisible world of hydrodynamics and how to stop fighting the water. Now it's time to answer the question every swimmer eventually faces…

How do I actually move myself forward through the water?

Traditionally, we’d talk about pulling and kicking harder. But that mindset often leads to fatigue, poor technique, and missed potential. In The Swim Mastery Way, Tracey Baumann teaches us to think differently.

We don’t “pull” the water – we connect and press. We don’t “kick” with our legs – we rhythmically press in time with the stroke.

Instead of chasing brute force, we learn to feel and direct pressure. Let’s break down what this looks like in practice.

The Hands Are Paddles, But Not Oars

When swimmers think about pulling, they often picture dragging the arm through the water. This usually results in muscling the stroke, slipping, or losing connection with the water entirely.

In Swim Mastery, it reframes the motion: you don’t pull – you anchor and press. Your hand and forearm create an effective surface. The goal is to connect early, apply pressure gradually, and accelerate through the stroke while maintaining alignment.

Try this mental cue: “Anchor the hand and move the body past it.”

Instead of thinking about dragging your hand through the water, imagine it holding steady while your body slides forward. This subtle shift encourages connection through the core and prevents wasteful movement.

Drill: Swim 4x25m freestyle. At the catch, pause for a micro-moment and feel pressure on the forearm. Then press back, keeping the hand and forearm aligned and accelerating through the push phase.

Cue: “Press and connect before you move.”

Why We Don’t Say “Kick”

The word “kick” suggests a sharp, isolated action – often from the knee or ankle. This leads swimmers to overuse the legs, disrupt body alignment, and create turbulence rather than propulsion.

In Swim Mastery, the term is “press” – a soft, controlled, full-leg action initiated from the hips and timed with the body’s movement.

The leg press primarily supports balance, rhythm, and rotation – not brute-force propulsion. It's a coordinated contribution to forward motion, not a frantic flailing of the feet.

Try this cue: “Let the legs follow the spine.”

Press from the hips in sync with the arm stroke. Don’t think about kicking backward – think about pressing gently down to stabilize your rotation.

2-Beat vs. 6-Beat Press – Matching Legs to Stroke

In traditional terms, you may have heard of 2-beat or 6-beat kicking. But in Swim Mastery, we think of this as leg press rhythm – and it's all about what supports your body best for the stroke you’re doing.

• 2-Beat Press:

  • One gentle leg press per arm stroke.

  • Timed with the opposite hand entering the water.

  • Helps maintain rhythm and rotation with very low energy cost.

  • Ideal for distance and open water.

  • Feel: Smooth, minimal, and quiet – almost like walking in water.

• 6-Beat Press:

  • Three leg presses per arm stroke.

  • Creates steady rhythm and greater stability at higher intensities.

  • Used in sprinting, turns, and rhythm-driven pacing.

  • Feel: Light foot buzz, steady propulsion, but still connected – not chaotic.

Drill: 4x25m freestyle with snorkel

• First 2 reps: 2-beat press, syncing the opposite leg press with hand entry.

• Last 2 reps: 6-beat press, steady rhythm.

Cue for 2-beat: “Press the opposite leg as you spear the hand forward.” Cue for 6-beat: “Light, even rhythm from the hips.”

Reflect:

• Which rhythm felt more stable?

• Which helped your bodyline the most?

• Which do you naturally default to when tired?

Acceleration Matters More Than Force

Many swimmers start their arm movement fast and fade out by the hips. But in Swim Mastery, we focus on gradual pressure and building acceleration through the stroke.

This does two things:

1. It maintains connection with the water.

2. It allows the body to move efficiently through the anchor point.

Fast at the start = slip. Accelerating through = propulsion.

Try this: Swim 25m freestyle focusing on building pressure from the catch through the push phase. Stay relaxed at the front of the stroke, then gradually increase speed through to the finish.

Cue: “Accelerate the water backward.”

Propulsion Is a Dance, Not a Pull: The Role of Timing and Leverage

Effective swimming isn’t about isolated movements. It’s about timing, coordination, and rhythm. Every press from the hand should connect to the torso’s rotation. Every press of the leg should support that motion – not interrupt it.

Crucially, the recovering arm and the body's rotation work together to create powerful leverage. As one arm presses back, the opposite arm is recovering over the water. The weight shift and momentum from this recovering arm, combined with your core rotation, helps to actively lever your entire body past the anchored hand and forearm in the water. This utilizes your large muscle groups (core, hips, back) to drive forward motion, making the stroke feel more effortless and connected.

When all parts move in sync, propulsion becomes almost effortless. You stop forcing it, and start flowing with it.

Drill: 6x25m freestyle Alternate 3 slow strokes, 3 fast strokes. Focus on maintaining rhythm and body connection at both speeds, paying attention to how the recovering arm and rotation assist your forward movement.

Ask: Does speed come from timing, or force?

Wrap-Up

You don’t need to pull harder or kick faster. You need to feel more, connect better, and move more rhythmically.

In summary:

• Anchor the hand, don’t pull it.

• Press the leg from the hip, don’t kick from the knee.

• Use 2-beat or 6-beat press depending on your rhythm and needs.

• Accelerate through the stroke, not at the start.

• Leverage body rotation and the recovering arm to move past the anchored hand.

• Let the whole body move as one.

This is the Swim Mastery way, and it could be your key to turning effort into efficiency.