If you’ve ever watched a game of water polo, you might have noticed the players seem to swim differently from pool swimmers. Their heads stay above the water, they can see where they’re going, and they appear ready to change direction or launch into action at any moment.

Known as polo freestyle or simply polo, this technique is a valuable skill not only for water polo players but also for ocean swimmers. Learning how to swim polo can improve your sighting, awareness, and ability to navigate busy race starts or rough conditions.

What Is Polo?

Polo is a variation of freestyle where you keep your head raised above the water while swimming. This allows you to continuously look forward and keep track of buoys, waves, and other swimmers.

Unlike traditional freestyle, where the body remains long and streamlined with the face mostly in the water, polo sacrifices some efficiency in exchange for visibility and control.

Why ocean swimmers should learn it

While you wouldn’t swim an entire ocean race using polo freestyle, it can be an incredibly useful skill.
Benefits include:

• Improved sighting without interrupting your stroke rhythm.
• Better awareness of other swimmers around you.
• Easier navigation through surf zones and wave sets.
• Greater confidence during crowded race starts.
• The ability to quickly spot buoys or landmarks when conditions are rough.

Many experienced ocean swimmers naturally switch into a short burst of polo when approaching a turning buoy, navigating through a pack, or swimming through surf.

What’s the correct polo technique?

1. Lift your eyes, not your whole body

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is lifting their entire head and chest out of the water.
Instead:

• Keep your neck long.
• Look forward with your eyes first.
• Raise your forehead just enough to see ahead.
• Keep the back of your head low.

The goal is to minimise drag while still maintaining visibility.

2. Maintain a strong kick

When you lift your head, your legs naturally want to sink.

To counter this:

• Increase your kick slightly.
• Keep your kick narrow and fast.
• Engage your core to maintain body position.

A stronger kick helps keep your hips high and prevents excessive drag.

3. Shorten your stroke slightly

Polo swimming often uses a slightly shorter and quicker stroke than traditional freestyle. Focus on:

• High elbows.
• Strong catch and pull.
• Faster stroke rate.
• Consistent rhythm.

This helps maintain momentum while your head is elevated.

4. Keep your core engaged

Your core acts as the bridge between your upper and lower body. Think about:

• Holding a strong, stable torso.
• Keeping your hips close to the surface.
• Avoid excessive arching through your lower back.

A strong core makes polo swimming significantly easier and more efficient.

How to incorporate polo into your sessions

Try this during your next pool session:

6 x 25m Polo

• Swim with your head up for the entire length
• Focus on looking straight ahead
• Maintain a steady kick
• Rest 15 seconds between repeats

As you improve, progress to:

4 x 50m

• First 25m polo swim
• Second 25m normal freestyle

This teaches you to transition smoothly between the two techniques, which you will do in the open water.

Using polo in the ocean

Polo is best used in short bursts rather than continuously.

Good times to use it include:

• Approaching a buoy turn
• Swimming through surf
• Navigating around other swimmers
• Sighting and checking your position relative to landmarks
• Spotting wave sets before they reach you

A few strokes of polo swimming can often save you from swimming off course and adding unnecessary distance to your race.

Common mistakes swimmers make when trying polo

1. Lifting your head too high

The higher your head comes out of the water, the more your legs sink.

Keep your eyes just above the surface rather than trying to lift your entire face clear.

2. Forgetting to kick

Without a strong kick, your body position quickly deteriorates.

Which means one thing, your legs sink, and swimming becomes harder because of the drag.

3. Swimming too long head-up

Polo is useful but inefficient over long distances. Use it strategically rather than as your default stroke.

4. Looking too far ahead

Focus on a point roughly 10-20 metres in front of you rather than trying to see the entire course.

Final polo tips

Polo is a simple skill that can make a big difference in the ocean. By learning to swim freestyle with your head up, you’ll improve your sighting, awareness, and ability to handle crowded or challenging conditions.

You don’t need to become a water polo player to benefit from it. Adding a few polo drills to your training each week can help you stay on course, navigate more confidently, and become a more adaptable ocean swimmer when race day arrives.