If you´ve not swam since a child, starting again in your 30s onward can be very tough. We´ve helped 100s of swimmers with varying backgrounds improve their swimming with the below methodology that may help you too:
AWARENESS:
The first step is bringing the unconscious incompetent - conscious. This can be achieved with some above and below water videos followed by analysis with a swim coach so you can actually see what is happening. Seeing is believing!
THE ORDER: What do I work on first?
1. Breathing. In order to change the stroke first you need to be relaxed, aiming to breathe from the diaphragm, take on a proud posture where your chest is puffed out, when you inhale ´go low´ and exhale ´let go´- using a pull buoy can be very useful here.
2. Find balance. In freestyle this means aim to be horizonal and at the surface of the water. The lower you are, the more ´drag´. Aim to have tension through the mid section, and think about the kick more for stability than for propulsion.
3. Rotation: once the breathing & balance is there -´rock not roll´. Most good swimmers rotate c45degree mainly through the shoulders and hips, this helps increase your distance per stroke and engage your back, lats and core to encourage momentum in your swimming
4. Catch & pull: responsible for c80% of propulsion. Drills here are a great way to ingrain the muscle memory of extension, high elbow, press back. Drill, swim - repeat!
5. Rhythm and timing: such as timing of the kick down and pull (same side) is highly nuanced and difficult but can be the key to unlocking that final element.
ONE THING AT A TIME:
The more people we have coached the more we have realised - simplicity is key. Just being relaxed in the water is hard enough so trying to change more than one thing at a time is almost impossible. Hone in on 1 aspect of the stroke, use drills to break down the movement slowly, repeat and repeat again!
FREQUENCY:
When learning or re learning how to swim, frequency is your friend. Better to swim 3 x 30min a week than 2 x 45min for example. At first expect to be more mentally than physically drained. Try not to spend more than 3 days out the water at any one time to ´keep a feel´ for the water.
REPETITION:
Keep reps short (25m-50m at first) with short rests. If you struggle to keep good form for 50m there's little point in swimming 400m straight early on. This will enable you to focus on technique and improve your endurance at the same time. A session such as 40 x 25m with 3seconds rest could be a good start.
Whilst breakthroughs can be made quite quickly when swimming the road to mastery is a long but rewarding one so stick with it!
I would recommend ´effortless swimming´ as a great resource on Youtube for those looking to further improve their swimming!
Col
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