I'm an ex-runner, turned swimmer. I swim approximately 5 days a week, 3600 yards each day, of drills, free, fly, *** and back. Freestyle still eludes me, in that I feel like a fish out of water :D - no balance, uneven pulls, dropped elbows, etc, no sick. I've had so many lessons, done all the drills, watched tons of videos, yet free is in my head -- I just don't swim it well. Other strokes are great. Question is this -- whenever I've gone to masters swim sessions, all they seem to focus on is freestyle. What about those swimmers who excel in other strokes? Is freestyle the onl stroke that is considered "real" swimming? Will I ever be a real swimmer with free being my worst stroke?
Parents
Former Member
I think most practices focus on freestyle because that is the way MOST people can do the most endurance/aerobic swimming. If that's not the case for you. I know I couldn't/wouldn't do 3600 yard practices daily of stroke, but I could with freestyle. It's not that freestyle is the only real stroke, just the one that MOST people would use to get in their yardage. If that's not the case for you, who cares!? You're definitely a real swimmer in my book. And like orca said, everyone has a weak stroke, and mine is also breaststroke. I recall a girl I swam with in high school who couldn't move forward with freestyle kick. She was much, much better at breaststroke.
I think most practices focus on freestyle because that is the way MOST people can do the most endurance/aerobic swimming. If that's not the case for you. I know I couldn't/wouldn't do 3600 yard practices daily of stroke, but I could with freestyle. It's not that freestyle is the only real stroke, just the one that MOST people would use to get in their yardage. If that's not the case for you, who cares!? You're definitely a real swimmer in my book. And like orca said, everyone has a weak stroke, and mine is also breaststroke. I recall a girl I swam with in high school who couldn't move forward with freestyle kick. She was much, much better at breaststroke.
