O
oompah
I only learnt to swim when my daughters started,at the ripe old age of 40, but found the breast stroke the easiest one to do, its what ever your comfortable with.
Learning to swim
- Thread starter PrenticeBoyofDerry
- Start date
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R
RedHerring2
Exactly.
As a beginner you will probably find that your glide phase is minimal and it'll be more of a Kick, G.., Pull.
The technique remains the same, blow out hard, but explosive like, think of blow-football, at the end of the Kick, G.. phase, open your mouth, well above the water line during the pull phase and the air will rush in.
If you watch competitive swimmers, their face is submerged during the kick phase and they may not breathe every stroke. You don't need to mimic that in your early learning.
A good buy is a swimming float, like this:
http://www.funswimshop.co.uk/swim-floats-123-c.asp?gclid=CImNq_bNn6QCFepc4wodKQl16Q
Don't be tempted to try a bit of Expanded Polystyrene, it's not the same and you'll make a mess with bits of it floating on the water.
A reasonable swimming float will last your whole swimming career and that of your kids. (And when you get really old they're excellent kneeling mats)
When using it, it's either between your legs, just above your knees (another trick to master, but not difficult, but ammusing when you see a classful of kids trying it, they're popping up like ping-pong balls) and concentrate on your arm technique, or use it in your hands (arms extended in front of you) and concentrate on your leg technique.
Either way you can also practise your breathing.
Obviously it's good for all strokes practise, except I've never tried it with side stroke!
Competitive swimmers use it in training so it won't look silly. Depending on how friendly the staff are at your local, they may let you borrow one.Another good practise, either with the float or without; see how few strokes you need to swim a width. You'll be developing technique and power in your stoke and it'll focus your mind on the glide.
Another point early in your breaststroke learning:
If you find that you're tending to use a screw kick, concentrate on keeping your shoulders square! Your hips will follow.
You'll realise what I mean by screwkick quite early.
Later in your swimming career you'll realise that the different strokes derive their power phase differently;
Breaststroke from the legs,
Crawl, backstroke and butterfly from the arms.
RedHerring2 said:
I remember that bit only too well. The thing went slowly down into the water until my arms were vertical - then I went under! How I hated swimming lessons.
R
RedHerring2
I remember that bit only too well. The thing went slowly down into the water until my arms were vertical - then I went under! How I hated swimming lessons.
It was simply 'cos you were trying to get yourself too far out of the water.
When you're confident with your chin just in the water, your body & legs down about 15 degrees, kicking with your feet (whatever stroke you fancy, but breaststroke has the strongest leg action), and going gently forward with your arms outstreched, hands on the float, no problem!
Oh, and stop being so negative!
PBD, don't forget: plenty of mental practice when you're on dry land!
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namsag
Prentice .Get a bar stool position yourself so your belly is in the middle of it lift your legs up and practise your arms and legs like that(in fresh air).Preferably in front of a mirror so you can watch and concentrate on your technique.
It wont help you at all but will give the wife a bloody good laugh watching you.
and might help you get into her knickers
It wont help you at all but will give the wife a bloody good laugh watching you.
and might help you get into her knickers
R
RedHerring2
It's not a bad way to get the breaststroke kick off pat (who's Pat? )
You don't need to lie on a stool, the floor, the bed will be fine, on your front.
lift your legs from the knees to a vertical position, turn your feet outwards, Charlie Chaplin style, push round, down and back with the inside of your feet, ankles and legs.
Don't worry about the roundness of the stroke, competitive swimmers tend to have a more direct backwards thrust. Leisurely swimmers have a more round'ish style.
To gain a good master of the stroke, it is important to train yourself into a symetrical stroke, i.e. that both of your legs move together and one is a mirror image of the other.
But if you do develop a screw kick, don't worry 'cos you can always go the whole way and develop it into a sidestroke.
BTW, enjoy yourself, it's more important to enjoy it than it is to achieve swimming any distance.
Some would say: "teach someone to enjoy themselves in the water and the swimming will automatically follow".
)You don't need to lie on a stool, the floor, the bed will be fine, on your front.
lift your legs from the knees to a vertical position, turn your feet outwards, Charlie Chaplin style, push round, down and back with the inside of your feet, ankles and legs.
Don't worry about the roundness of the stroke, competitive swimmers tend to have a more direct backwards thrust. Leisurely swimmers have a more round'ish style.
To gain a good master of the stroke, it is important to train yourself into a symetrical stroke, i.e. that both of your legs move together and one is a mirror image of the other.
But if you do develop a screw kick, don't worry 'cos you can always go the whole way and develop it into a sidestroke.
BTW, enjoy yourself, it's more important to enjoy it than it is to achieve swimming any distance.
Some would say: "teach someone to enjoy themselves in the water and the swimming will automatically follow".
N
namsag
Herring.
prenticeboys mrs not getting on too well with him at present could you see her face if he said honest i got these carpet burns from practising swimming on the floor.
prenticeboys mrs not getting on too well with him at present could you see her face if he said honest i got these carpet burns from practising swimming on the floor.
R
RedHerring2
Yeah, but if he's doing it right he'll only get the burns on his knees,
hmmm, nuff said!
hmmm, nuff said!
Nothing really to add to the above comments. Other than, Carpet burns! I'd get bolluxed for scuffing the carpet!
Anyway getting ready for Sunday morning lesson!
Anyway getting ready for Sunday morning lesson!
Done an hour and half, thanks to the advise on hear and my caring tutor, made great improvement and put some yardage in unassissted!
I feel great!
I feel great!
The best way to learn to swim is underwater.
Take a deep breath on one side of the pool, duck under and just swim as far as you can to the other side.
You'll reach it eventually and when you do then try going above.
When you master below, above is easy.
Thats how I learnt anyways.
Take a deep breath on one side of the pool, duck under and just swim as far as you can to the other side.
You'll reach it eventually and when you do then try going above.
When you master below, above is easy.
Thats how I learnt anyways.
R
RedHerring2
That's one of the best things about an early moring swim. Afterwards you feel good and the day is young!
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namsag
Early morning swim is always more refreshing . The kids aint pished in the pool yet
R
RedHerring2
Ya know, I beginning to think the gasman has got an obsession with young kids pishing
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