Hi. I want to get a good quality swim instructor who will teach and correct me in swimming (been swimming a lot but completely self-learned, very unprofessional). There are a lot of people advertising, but I have no way to know who's really good. I've seen some of the worst instructors in the pools I swam. So where do I look for good swimming instructors? (I've heard some say Total Immersion is good, but they charge a fortune for a brief course.)
This is a loaded topic. What made the "worst instructors" so bad? Just curious.
I have found a abundance of all types of swim instruction. Some instructors have "been doing this for 20 years and that's how we do it". Other coaches, I have been fortunate to be exposed to, are open to the newest research in swimming and are willing to give new theory a try.
With that said find an instructor that can "cultivate" your swimming ability into what your goals are. Do you want to participate in structured workouts?, Do you want to do a triathlon?, Do you want to compete in swim meets?
Nothing bad or wrong from being self-taught. You just need some cultivation on your technique. That is also a never ending process.
There are two things I feel strongly about: 1) instructors who are not willing to change as improvements in swimming techniques are identified through scientific research; 2) instructors who bad mouth other swim instructors and swim organizations.
Swimming styles, techniques, of the past have all vastly been improved upon. I recently saw a video of a side by side comparison of Mark Spitz' butterfly style, next to Michael Phelps', yes, there is a huge difference.
Good luck on finding an instructor who can meet your needs.
I agree with Bill Sive's assessment with one addition: to avoid instructors/coaches who badmouth other coaches *or* swimmers/clients. You can also search for stroke technique clinics that will help you fine-tune your stroke and provide you with guidance that you will be able to incorporate into your own workouts.
Good luck in your search!
So where do I look for them? How do the forum members here find their instructors or coaches? Only by joining the USMS? I don't trust craigslist ads LOL.
When I first joined USMS in 2010, I went to the pool at a community center and asked for a referral. They gave me the names of the coaches of the pool's two kids swim teams. It just so happened one of them was on deck coaching his team, so I spoke with him after practice. I asked Mike if he would be available for hire to coach me individually on stroke technique, and he agreed to set up 1-hour sessions on an as-needed basis. This worked out perfectly for me, and Mike Slotnick turned out to be an excellent coach.
I would suggest contacting your local community pool as well as pools in surrounding communities. Better yet, go down and watch the coach in action like I did and see if you think they would be a good fit beforeasking them if they are for hire. I was very impressed with how Mike handled his kids, and I knew he would be a good guy to work with individually.
Good luck!
:D
So where do I look for them? How do the forum members here find their instructors or coaches? Only by joining the USMS? I don't trust craigslist ads LOL.
It might be a good idea to get a stroke analysis. Since you've been self-taught thus far, this will be a great opportunity to see where you are, and to learn from the coach who is providing you with the analysis. I just got this article published on SwimSwam today, which might help you: swimswam.com/4-reasons-why-you-should-get-your-stroke-technique-analyzed/
This.
I would go to local programs tab / places to swim to find a Masters program near you. Call/e-mail the person running the program and see if they know anyone providing instructions on an individual basis. It may be costly but getting enough instruction time from a group swim/work out environment is probably not feasible. Still join the Masters program to maintain and practice any new skill learned.
