Effortless Swimming · Freestyle
TL;DR: Five drills fix almost every freestyle breathing problem: exhale rhythm practice, the side kicking drill, the shark fin drill, kick-on-side switching sides, and breathing 3/5 fifties. Do two of them for ten minutes at the start of each session and your breathing will feel different within a few weeks.
You can’t think your way to better breathing mid-stroke. There’s too much happening at once.
That’s what drills are for: they isolate one piece of the skill, let you feel it properly, then feed it back into the full stroke. These are the five I use with swimmers whose breathing is holding them back — the same problems I break down in the full freestyle breathing technique guide.
Fix the cause, not the gasp
Quick diagnosis first, because the right drill depends on the real problem:
- Choking or gasping? Your exhale is mistimed → start with drill 1.
- Stroke falls apart when you breathe? Balance and head position → drills 2 and 3.
- Can only breathe to one side? → drill 4.
- Comfortable easy, panicked hard? Pattern control → drill 5.
Drill 1: Exhale rhythm practice
What it fixes
Choking, gasping, and the held breath that leaves you winded after two laps.
Stand in chest-deep water, hold the wall or lane rope, and simply practice the breathing cycle without swimming: face in, steady trickle of bubbles from nose and mouth, then a fuller release, then rotate the head to the side for one calm breath. Back in. Repeat.
The goal is a constant, unhurried exhale — lightly at first, then more fully just before you breathe, so your lungs are empty exactly when fresh air is available.
Dose: 2 to 3 minutes before you swim. It looks beginner-ish; it isn’t. Even experienced swimmers discover they’ve been holding their breath for years.
Drill 2: Side kicking drill
What it fixes
Sinking when you breathe, and the “both goggles out” head lift.
Kick on your side with your bottom arm extended in front, top arm resting on your side, and your head in line with your spine — one goggle in the water, one out, looking sideways rather than up.
This is the exact position a good breath is taken from, held long enough for your body to learn it. If your legs sink, press your chest slightly into the water and feel your weight through your chest and head — the hips and legs rise in response.
Dose: 4 x 25m as 12.5m on each side, with fins if you have them. Rest as needed — quality beats distance.
Drill 3: Shark fin drill
What it fixes
The lead arm that drops and sinks every time you take a breath.
Start in the side kicking position. Now slowly draw your top arm up so the elbow points to the sky and the hand rests near your armpit — the “shark fin” — hold for a moment, then return it and keep kicking.
The whole challenge is keeping your bottom arm long and light and your body steady while the other arm moves. That’s precisely the balance you need mid-breath, when your lead arm has to stay extended instead of collapsing underneath you.
Dose: 4 x 25m, alternating sides each length. Slow is correct — if it’s easy, you’re rushing it.
Drill 4: Kick on side, switching sides
What it fixes
A weak breathing side, and the lopsided stroke that comes with it.
Same position as drill 2, but now give both sides equal work — and make the weak side earn extra reps. Kicking on your non-preferred side develops the rotation, balance and head position that side has been missing, which is exactly why breathing that way feels alien.
Switch sides during your session rather than saving the weak side for the end when you’re tired.
Dose: 6 x 25m alternating, starting and finishing on your weaker side. Expect the weak side to feel terrible for a week or two. That’s the drill working.
Drill 5: Breathing 3/5 fifties
What it fixes
Breath panic at intensity, and single-side dependence.
Swim 50s where you breathe every 3 strokes for the first 25 and every 5 for the second 25. The controlled pattern forces a longer, calmer exhale and teaches your body that a slightly longer gap between breaths is uncomfortable, not dangerous.
Important: this is a control drill for easy swimming, not a way to race. When you swim hard, breathe as often as you need — the point here is building comfort and both-sided skill, not oxygen deprivation.
Dose: 6 x 50m easy-to-steady pace with 15 to 20 seconds rest.
A 10-minute breathing set
Here’s how to stack the drills at the start of any session:
Breathing set
- 2 min exhale rhythm practice at the wall
- 4 x 25m side kicking drill (12.5m each side), 15 sec rest
- 4 x 25m shark fin drill, alternating sides, 15 sec rest
- 4 x 50m as 25m drill of your choice / 25m freestyle applying it
- 4 x 50m easy freestyle breathing 3/5
Then swim your main set — you’ll carry the rhythm with you. If you want structured sessions to attach this to, the swimming workouts library has full sessions for every level.
Frequently asked questions
How long until breathing drills make a difference?
Most swimmers feel a clear change within two to three weeks of doing a short breathing set two or three times per week. The exhale habit changes fastest; balance on the weak side takes the longest.
Should I use fins for these drills?
Yes, especially for side kicking and shark fin. Fins give you enough propulsion to hold the position long enough to learn from it. As the balance improves, wean off them.
Which drill should I start with?
Exhale rhythm practice — it takes two minutes, needs no fitness, and it’s the root cause of most breathing trouble. Pair it with the side kicking drill and you’re addressing both the air and the balance side of the problem.
My stroke is fine until I breathe — why?
Because the breath adds a balance challenge your stroke hasn’t been trained for: the body rotates further, the head moves, and the lead arm has to support you longer. Shark fin drill targets exactly that moment — it teaches you to stay long and balanced while something else is happening.
The takeaway
Ten minutes of deliberate breathing work beats a thousand laps of hoping it fixes itself.
Diagnose your actual problem, pick the two drills that target it, and put them at the front of every session for three weeks. Calm, rhythmic breathing isn’t a talent — it’s a skill you install.
The goggles I swim in
Side kicking and shark fin drills keep one lens in the water the whole time, which is exactly where cheap goggles give up — fogging on the wet-dry boundary and letting water creep past the seal while you’re concentrating on balance.
The NanoClear Strike is what I use for drill work. Its anti-fog is bonded into the lens itself rather than sprayed on as a coating, so it keeps working session after session, and the wide lens means you can still see the lane around you from the side-on position. The contoured gaskets hold a gentle seal without leaving you with panda eyes after a long set.
It’s the goggle most of our swimmers end up in: one pair that handles training, racing, pool and open water, with an adjustable nose bridge to get the fit right for your face.
