Swimming! Im doing it wrong!!

I don't really have any advice on form as mine is far from perfect. But it is adequate.

I can say that I took swim lessons at the age of 41 and there is no shame I doing it. I'm glad I did because I had a good instructor who had me swimming well in just a few lessons.

Secondly, developing swim fitness sufficient to swim fast freestyle for lap after lap takes a lot of consistent training so be patient.

I didn't learn to swim until I joined water polo, Freshman year. The coach showed us the basic form, pushed us into 13ft water and said, "Swim to the other side. When I blow the whistle change direction." I couldn't even DOGGY PADDLE!! XD

Okay now I'll get to the main topic.

When you trying out a new stroke, you want to go at a slow steady pace where you can really focus on your form.
The way that my coach taught us the arm motion for Freestyle ((or Front Crawl as some call it)) is Submarine, TP, Rainbow.
I'll explain. Just do this in the shallow end, standing up so you can really see where your arms are going.

Submarine: With both arms extended forward, take one and put it under water like a submarine, pulling it to your side. Do NOT go straight down to your side, use those elbows. Hahah

TP: When your arm reaches your side, bring it out of the water to form a TP behind you. It'll feel a little awkward, but you'll get used to it. To get what I mean be this, put your hand on your hip. It makes a triangle, right? Upper Arm, Forearm, side. Now move your elbow behind you, without letting go of your hip. Then lift your arm up, keeping it in the same position. It'll make a "TP".

Rainbow: Self-explanatory. With your hand leading the way, rainbow over to the starting position.

I tried my best to explain that without visual representation.

Flutter-kicking~ Keep your hips up and legs moving! Remember, your kick starting at your hips, NOT your knees of feet!

As you swim, your body should be rocking back and forth. Whichever arm is taking a stroke, your body turns slightly in that direction. As you breathe, use this to your advantage. Right before/as your arm starting "rainbow"ing, look to that side and take a breathe through your mouth. Never breathe in with your nose! It's terrible!!!! DX After taking a breathe, exhale from your nose as your head is underwater and you are swimming. It makes it easier to take your next breathe. If you just hold your breathe, it's very difficult to take one in, because in the short period of time you have to both exhale and inhale. I'm bad and am only able to take breathes from my right side, but it is best to learn to breathe on both sides.

One last thing. Don't look forward! If you do, your hips start to sink creating a lot of unnecessary drag! Look at the pool floor.

I hope I helped in some way~!

Bumping to read later - loads of good stuff here.

- and you didn't do it wrong - because you went along. Doing it wrong would be not turning up at all.

I felt the same way when I started training for triathlons. I eventually worked up to a mile swim before I realized how wrong my mechanics were and how much harder I was working than was needed. I discovered Total Immersion and it transformed my swim. Before I changed technique, my best mile was 1:07. After just 7 workouts I dropped to a 38 minute mile and eventually below 32 minutes. I used the 8 tips for novices in the link below and watched the video of the Japanese swimmer before and after every workout as a reference. I didn't bother buying the book. Bottom line, I work half as hard as I used to and am twice as fast.

Hope this can help. Good luck!

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/08/13/total-immersion-how-i-learned-to-swim-effortlessly-in-10-days-and-you-can-too/

So I decided to hit the pool last night as I ran a race on Sunday and wanted a break from running. Ive always found swimming easily, plodding up and down the length of a pool doing breaststroke. Anyway, last night I decided I would try swimming the way I see fast swimmers swim! So I bought a pair of goggles at the reception and I was lucky enough to get a whole lane to myself!

So I started swimming up and down - I was averaging 40-50 seconds a length (much faster than breaststroke!) but I was absolutely knackered! I also got cramp 3 times (yes I ate before I went, lesson learned). So after about an hour, the lifeguard came up to me and politely told me that I was doing it wrong and that I must learn to control my breathing so Im not so out of breath at the end of the length. Well I spent the next 10 minutes trying that which resulted in me swallowing some water and almost choking!!

Does anyone have any hints and tips on how I become a better swimmer. I would eventually like to do a triathalon and swimming is a big part of that! Im more than happy to put the time in, i just need the technique - help!

I feel like everybody has already given you plenty of tips on the technique.

But for the cramps...it's not about food, it's about water. If you haven't drank enough during the day, you're much more likely to get cramps.
Also where did you get cramps? Cramps at the wrong place may indicate bad technique as well.

As for the breathing: Keep your head in line with your spine, looking just slightly ahead. Start breathing before your opposite hand hits the water at full extension, so it's seamless with your rotation. As soon as your fingers on the right hand touch the water, turn to the left to take your breath. Allow only the left eye to lift from the water. Repeat to the opposite side, allowing only the right eye to emerge. Empty lungs with a full exhalation between breaths.

I'm an ok swimmer. I have the technique but I'm not very fast. I swim 2000 meters breaststroke in one hour. Free style is harder to do without a 15 second break every 50 meters. I need to work on that.

But my question is, why do almost everyone I see do free style I hardly ever see people doing breaststroke?

Maybe because swimming breaststroke is harder as you expend more calories than freestyle? Also some people don't have the correct technique or maybe haven't been taught how?

Where I swim people either do breaststroke (older generation) or freestyle. I swim all styles but mainly freestyle as I find it is great for doing long-distance endurance swimming. (with a few lengths of breaststroke or backstroke to mix it up).

Bump
????

For the breathing:

Let your head follow and lean (a bit) into your movement when you extend one arm forward. This should rotate it so that your face comes out of the water while keeping your neck and back straight.

How often you breathe depends on your aerobic capacity (and coordination, tbh). I think most people breathe on every other stroke. This can make you deviate a little since you always breathe on the same side, but that shouldn't be a big problem in a pool and it's enough air to fuel your swimming.

Breathing every fourth stroke is hard unless you have excellent aerobic capacity. Breathing every third stroke is probably best for balance since you alternate sides, but I've always found it tricky to coordinate :embarassed:

I'm an ok swimmer. I have the technique but I'm not very fast. I swim 2000 meters breaststroke in one hour. Free style is harder to do without a 15 second break every 50 meters. I need to work on that.

But my question is, why do almost everyone I see do free style I hardly ever see people doing breaststroke?

Maybe because swimming breaststroke is harder as you expend more calories than freestyle? Also some people don't have the correct technique or maybe haven't been taught how?


.
Where I swim people either do breaststroke (older generation) or freestyle. I swim all styles but mainly freestyle as I find it is great for doing long-distance endurance swimming. (with a few lengths of breaststroke or backstroke to mix it up).

Yes, the old folks swim some version of breaststroke but I have not seen them swim it the "competitive" way if you know what I mean.
This is how I do it. People usually leave me alone in my lane ,...lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5OWdsumgwk

I'm an ok swimmer. I have the technique but I'm not very fast. I swim 2000 meters breaststroke in one hour. Free style is harder to do without a 15 second break every 50 meters. I need to work on that.

But my question is, why do almost everyone I see do free style I hardly ever see people doing breaststroke?

Even though I used to be a lifeguard, taught swim lessons, and swam a ton, I always preferred the breaststroke because I had a hard time getting the timing down for the breathing for freestyle (I would get light-headed), so breaststroke was easier to do. I'm pretty sure the excessive amounts of laps I did with the breaststroke is what contributed to my knee problems, though. (From all the quick rotations at the knee.) Freestyle seems to be easier on the body, for extended practice.

Like I said, breaststroke is easy for me. I get a great work out of it. But yea, I have to be the only one in the lane or I kick people.

I want to be better at freestyle. Maybe my freestyle technique is not that good. I see people swimming lap after lap without resting. I have to rest every 50 meters. Im looking at the video of M.P and he makes it look so easy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax77_hHq9Dc

Just got back from the pool. I swim 40 minutes and never stop. I'm 59, and everybody else (even the younger ones) seem to stop alot. It means you don't have your breathing down. If you have to stop do 10 breaths up and down to get your lungs used to the rhythm of breathing under water. Another help may be you're not expelling all the air in your lungs underwater. If I'm distracted (have too many people in my lane) and find I'm short of breath I start expelling more air out of my mouth underwater. It works well for me. Also most people try to swim as fast as possible--with alot of splashing. It's better to slow down, get your rhythm down--a smooth, sleek technique is best--and don't stop. If this old lady can do it, you sure can.

What kind of pool are you swimming in? 25m or 50m (olympic size)?

Like I said, breaststroke is easy for me. I get a great work out of it. But yea, I have to be the only one in the lane or I kick people.

I want to be better at freestyle. Maybe my freestyle technique is not that good. I see people swimming lap after lap without resting. I have to rest every 50 meters. Im looking at the video of M.P and he makes it look so easy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax77_hHq9Dc

Just got back from the pool. I swim 40 minutes and never stop. I'm 59, and everybody else (even the younger ones) seem to stop alot. It means you don't have your breathing down. If you have to stop do 10 breaths up and down to get your lungs used to the rhythm of breathing under water. Another help may be you're not expelling all the air in your lungs underwater. If I'm distracted (have too many people in my lane) and find I'm short of breath I start expelling more air out of my mouth underwater. It works well for me. Also most people try to swim as fast as possible--with alot of splashing. It's better to slow down, get your rhythm down--a smooth, sleek technique is best--and don't stop. If this old lady can do it, you sure can.

Yes, with freestyle I don't think I have my breathing right. It's getting easier though so im getting better.

Best of luck to you. Stick with it and you'll see results. I always watch the better swimmers to pick up some ideas---one can always improve.

Great thread; saving for reference!
I'm learning to swim too, with the idea of doing a triathlon. Leaving is this late to learn is definitely a bad idea - so good that you're battling it now!

Not much to add to all the above. The Swim Smooth, site is great. Also I've found the Total Immersion Series useful. A coach is good for giving you feedback on what you are actually doing, thus speeding up your corrections. And YouTube has a load of really good videos.