#425 : Secrets To Fast Freestyle with Steph Clutterbuck
4/27/202612 min
In this episode, we sit down with professional triathlete Steph Clutterbuck to break down the real secrets behind efficient freestyle swimming. Instead of grinding harder in the water, Steph explains how better technique—especially rotation, body position, and connection—can dramatically improve your speed.
We dive into why many swimmers struggle with a flat, disconnected stroke and how that leads to wasted energy. Steph shares practical tips on how to stay long in the water, engage your core, and create a smoother, more powerful stroke.
If you're stuck at a plateau or feel like swimming faster requires exhausting effort, this episode will completely change your approach.
0:11 – Introduction Overview of freestyle technique and common mistakes swimmers make
0:20 – Why swimmers struggle to get faster.
1:10 – The problem with swimming "flat".
2:10 – Why a flat stroke wastes energy.
3:15 – Importance of body rotation.
4:20 – Timing and coordination.
5:30 – Catch vs whole stroke.
6:40 – Staying long in the water.
7:45 – Using your core in freestyle.
9:00 – Common beginner mistakes recap.
10:10 – How to swim faster with less effort?
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsBrenton Ford· Host0:00
Welcome to the Effortless Swimming Podcast, the show that helps swimmers and triathletes love the water, become a better swimmer, and live a better life. Here's your host, Brenton Ford.
Speaker 10:10
[whooshing sound] A few years ago, I came across a clip of Steph Clatterbaugh in the water that completely stopped my scroll. At the time, her swim videos were being shared and ripped off by hundreds of other accounts because of how easy she made it look. Fast-forward to today, and she's not just a viral highlight, she's a pro triathlete who consistently clocks top 10 swim splits on the world stage. Today, we're going beyond the Instagram reels to break down the actual mechanics of that stroke.
Steph Clutterbuck· Guest0:36
[whooshing sound] I started swimming, I think I must've been three or four years old. I joined my first swimming club when I was seven or eight years old, and started racing when I was 9 or 10 years old. So for me, it's been a very, very long time staring at the black line at the bottom of the pool, but I've learned a huge amount, and it's definitely shaped me of who I am today. I started to [laughs] think about my technique, honestly, probably only as an adult. Like, I remember when I, I had a, I had, like, a 10-year period where I didn't swim. So I stopped swimming when I was 19 and then started back up again... Or maybe it was less than that, maybe it was six years, when I was training for a triathlon. When I was younger, it was definitely, technique was forced upon me by coaches. So I had a coach that would walk down poolside with a wooden stick and would hit your head if it was too high, would hit your bum if it was too high. Like, it was, I don't wanna say hands-on, 'cause that sounds really weird, but it was quite ph- very,