Hi All. I recently started swimming with a masters team approximately 3 weeks ago. After the first few practices my coach informed me that I am a natural at swimming the breaststroke. However when I attempt to swim free style I feel like I am sinking/drowning. Does anyone else have this problem? If so what suggestions would you make to correct/lower the learning curve.
as far a "sinking" you need to work on a faster kick...
I'm going to have to disagree with my friend Oz, here. Sinking in freestyle is generally a matter of poor body position. With proper body position, you can swim freestyle with very minimal kick. The most common issue with beginners is holding the head up to look forward, and/or lifting the head to breath. Either pushes your hips down. Let your hips get too far down, and you sink.
To stay as horizontal as possible, you need to look down, not forward, and swivel at the neck to breath, not bend to lift your chin. That'll help move your center of balance from your upper torso down closer to your waist where you want it. You may almost feel like you have to "lean into" the water to get that center of balance right. Good position also takes a fair amount of core strength. If you're midsection isn't tight, and you're bending in the middle, even proper head position isn't going to help much.
as far a "sinking" you need to work on a faster kick...
I'm going to have to disagree with my friend Oz, here. Sinking in freestyle is generally a matter of poor body position. With proper body position, you can swim freestyle with very minimal kick. The most common issue with beginners is holding the head up to look forward, and/or lifting the head to breath. Either pushes your hips down. Let your hips get too far down, and you sink.
To stay as horizontal as possible, you need to look down, not forward, and swivel at the neck to breath, not bend to lift your chin. That'll help move your center of balance from your upper torso down closer to your waist where you want it. You may almost feel like you have to "lean into" the water to get that center of balance right. Good position also takes a fair amount of core strength. If you're midsection isn't tight, and you're bending in the middle, even proper head position isn't going to help much.
