In freestyle, as in the other strokes, you move forward not by moving water backward, as is sometimes thought, but by pushing the arms and legs against the resistance offered by the water. . . . If you can press your hand against water that is not moving, you can push yourself further forward than if you are in water that is already moving backward. . . . Make an elongated “S” pattern with your hands when you swim freestyle. This way your hand will avoid following a column of water that is moving from the moment you begin your pull backwards.
The hand zigzags back and forth so that it may constantly encounter still water, which will offer the greatest resistance. . . . The arm is bent significantly throughout the major portion of the pull. The reason for this is that leverage is greatest with a bent arm.
