Newbie question

Former Member
Former Member
Please let me know if this forum isn't for this kind of question. I am trying to learn to swim properly. I have been very comfortable with water all my life, no problems at all. However, the only stroke I have ever swum is the *** stroke and probably not so well. Still, I have crossed small lakes swimming and feel completely at ease in any body of water. Now I am trying to learn proper freestyle. No coach at this point. Lots of videos on the 'net and I also ordered the TI videos. One problem I am having is that my body doesn't seem to stay near the surface of the water. Because of this, when I rotate to breathe the air isn't there...so I have to either over rotate or wait for the bobbing cycle to bring me back to the surface. I am not sure why this is happening and I am hoping that this is a simple newbie mistake and someone can point out how to correct it. I am swimming with my head down, even pushing it down chin-to-chest. I am also doing skating drills on both sides and breathing without any problems during those. It's when I transition to crawl that I seem to descend just a few inches. I imagine if I was watching from the outside I'd see me kind of bobbing up and down as I move through the pool. Any ideas or pointers in the right direction would be appreciated. Thanks, -Martin
Parents
  • TI is good for certain aspects of swimming, but has a lot of emphasis on very slow, methodical drills that some people have difficulty slowing down to. On your sinking legs and breathing problem, the simple solution is to kick a little more. Many people forget to kick at all when they concentrate on swimming crawl without a competition background. The stroke demands plenty of concentration to effect a forward motion while cycling you arms, so your legs are a secondary thought process. Exhale completely while your face is in the water, nose pointing down or forward. The breath you take will be far easier if it is a total inhale when your head is turned.
Reply
  • TI is good for certain aspects of swimming, but has a lot of emphasis on very slow, methodical drills that some people have difficulty slowing down to. On your sinking legs and breathing problem, the simple solution is to kick a little more. Many people forget to kick at all when they concentrate on swimming crawl without a competition background. The stroke demands plenty of concentration to effect a forward motion while cycling you arms, so your legs are a secondary thought process. Exhale completely while your face is in the water, nose pointing down or forward. The breath you take will be far easier if it is a total inhale when your head is turned.
Children
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