If you are trying to improve your swim technique or improve your efficiency in the water
, you need to work on some swimming drills. Do some drills every time you workout, include technique drills as part of this. If you can fine tune your technique for the freestyle you can make the stroke more effortless which would translate to better times. In addition improving technique would help you expend a little less energy. You can never do to many drills to improve technique and you should do drills that targets the different aspects of the swim. Done repeatedly, drills will allow you to get good enough that you do not have to think about what you are doing, it becomes second nature. Another important aspect of swimming if you are a competitive swimmer is dealing with distractions. If you are not able to focus on the job at hand you will lose some of your edge when you get in the pool. You need to train yourself to not be distracted by the noise and goings on around you, learn to concentrate on your mission which is to swim the best times you can. A lot of how well you do in sports is related to your mental state. Being in control of your mental state will give you the chance to perform at your best. A little research online can help you find methods for doing drills and improving your mental state. It would be well worth your time to learn more about these two important areas of training and competition.