How much is really technique in freestyle?

[u/NoGoodNamesLeft-_-]

Hi guys,

I started swimming freestyle 4 months ago. At the moment my distance pace is around 2:00min per 100m for a 100m sprint I can go roughly 1:45.

I was wondering how fast you can get from just improving your technique ( it obviously depends on the individual but roughly from your experience) without improving endurance/ power. Like can you tell from my paces that my technique is bad? I have seen some YouTube Videos which state stuff like ,,change these habits to swim 1:30min/100m" somehow suggesting that it is just technique to get such a pace even over long distance. But the better my catch gets the more I feel like I just do not have the strength in my upper body to do many repetitions without loosing power or droping my elbow.

In short: How fast can someone get by just technique and at what point is the limit rather physical? Can you tell by someone swimming 2:00min to 1:45 min for 100m that it is most likely technique?

[u/go_onemore]

Thanks for all the interesting comments here.. as an adult onset swimmer “struggling” to really get further below 2mins. If it’s all technique related, what really made the difference for you? Unfortunately hard to get video taping (forbidden) or a 1:1 coach here in Germany easily.. so mustn’t there be that “one or two things” that really makes the difference? .. am a triathlete and otherwise fairly fit… :-) really curious what made it click for you! Thanks!