I learn the four strokes as a kid. But what is it like for you that learned it as adults. I was amazed that some adults are like age groupers better at some strokes than others.
Well, I learned to swim as an adult. When I started taking lessons, my teacher had me try both the crawl and a modified *** stroke (*** stroke arm pull, with a flutter kick.) After watching my first pitiful attempts, he said that the *** stroke was the most likely stroke to work for me. (I later heard that at one timethe Red Cross said the *** stroke and the side stroke were often the easiest for adults to learn.) So, I concentrated on that. Even so, it was hard to learn--I spent many hours practicing. (I can remember one day when I was the only person in the pool. I felt sorry for the lifeguard, who had to sit and watch my pitiful attempts for forty-five minutes.) However, part of the problem wasn't just the mechanics--it was the fact that I was also having to overcome a healthy terror of water. It finally did start working, and less than six months later I was able to swim non-stop for half a mile with a reasonably correct *** stroke.
With that taken care of, I started working on the crawl. By that time, I was playing a bit with diving, and I'd use my crawl to get me from the diving board to the wall. (Safety nuts are shuddering--although I knew if something went wrong, my *** stroke would save me.)
For a long time, I'd say that my *** stroke was better. But, I liked it better than the crawl--the only reason I really cared about the crawl was that many pools technically require 25 yards of non-stop crawl before you can dive. Adults don't get tested, but I felt that in the spirit of being a good swimmer citizen, I should have that distance. Even if my *** stroke was faster and lasted longer.
More recently, I've used the crawl more. It has been a challenge trying to make it work--I've been told it doesn't look too bad, but I can tell that there are problems. I'm not as good with my *** stroke as I once was (I was away from swimming for a while, and I haven't used my *** stroke as much now that I've come back.) But, I do think my *** stroke might potentially, be my "best stroke."
I can do a pitiful racing back stroke, and a limited inverted *** stroke. I could do both better, except I don't like the back stroke--I get bored looking at the ceiling. I like the bottom of the pool, because the light patterns are so pretty. I can also do the side stroke--again, not well. At one time, I used it a lot, since I could swim laps and watch the good divers practice. I can't do the butterfly, although I think I might be able to learn it if I worked at it.
What's it like?
When I was in high school, we had swimming class as part of phys ed. There might have been 10 sessions in the pool per year. The classes were pretty disorderly, as the gym teacher could only enunciate a few general principles while trying to serve many skill levels. When I was a freshman, under the tutelage of a patient and long-suffering classmate, I went from "Beginner" to "Advanced Beginner" -- and that is where I remained until I graduated. I otherwise spent most of my obligatory pool time shivering in the corner, trying not to look like I was checking out the girls in their swim suits. For the next 23 years, I did not swim a single stroke. (Exception - one winter I rescued a dog that fell into the swimming pool at the apartment. Lucky I didn't drown, which wouldn't have impressed the chicks.)
When I started swimming last year, while recuperating from serious running injuries, I couldn't do any of the four competitive strokes. I did elementary backstroke, sidestroke (both sides!), and something almost, but not quite, completely unlike a front crawl. My physical therapist's assistant, who is an accomplished swimmer, pointed me toward breaststroke, which is now probably my technically best stroke (6 or 7 strokes per length, but don't ask me how fast). I cannot do the windmill backstroke because of past shoulder injuries (from using crutches!) -- there are painful clicks and pops as my arm goes overhead. Same reason I do not attempt the butterfly. (Plus it looks terrifying.) She also suggested some variations of sidestroke that would make it interesting and help with my crawl. The only time I look at a pace clock is when I am taking my pulse. I have overcome my morbid, stomach-churning fear of the deep end, but not of diving in head first.
My objectives are (1) not to disturb the lifeguard, (2) add no further entries to my long list of injuries, (3) lose 30 pounds (actually, only 5 more to go), (4) enjoy the other healthful benefits of swimming for exercise so that (5) I can for many more years enjoy other things in life, such as raising my kids, eating pizza, swinging a golf club.
It's interesting to note that the diabolical threads are often innocently started by the happy face, and then,... well you know what happens.
Rarely have I ever seen butterflyers emerge from a cocoon that dates past the age of eighteen.
The breaststroke is also rather technical and involves very specific timing to do it fast, or should I say efficiently.
But who knows, anything is possible if you puy your mind to it.
:)
Well,there's a great butterflyer in our state in the 60-64 year old age group that didn't start competing until her early 50's. I don't know how old she was when she learn buterfly.
Originally posted by Backman
Rarely have I ever seen butterflyers emerge from a cocoon that dates past the age of eighteen.
:)
Fly was done with a frog kick until I was almost out of my teens. I never really mastered fly with the frog kick, which seemed to me to be a most awkward stroke. However, in my 40s I taught myself to swim a fly of sorts with the dolphin kick. To get the feel of keeping my feet going up and down together I would tie a rubber tube around my ankles. This was good enough to suffice for a 50 in the 200 IM, but no more.
For the past five years ago or so I have had some coaching, and my fly has improved immensely. I have the undulation and the timing down now to the point where I can do a 200 meter fly in competition and not fall apart. In fact, last summer at age 66 I did a personal best in the 200 meter fly - improving a time I did three years ago by five seconds.
So, old dogs can still learn new tricks!
I could swim - had swim lessons as a kid and went to the neighborhood pool every day to goof around, check out girls and get in trouble.
But three years ago I needed to learn how to swim well. I told a friend I would do the chesapeake Bay swim. I'm an engineer, a thinking guy so I looked for some books on swim technique.
I found the total Immersion book and then got swimming made easy and they were exactly what I needed. As an adult and an engineer the idea of flotation and bouyancy, keeping a horizontal line and not pushing down on the water all made perfect sense to me.
I took to the teaching in the books and videos like a duck to water so to speak. I am honestly a good freestyler. I sometimes think I am becoming a good breastroker or flyer - but a workout with the 4 stroke masters club usually reminds me I have a long way to go.
I think you've hit upon an issue that causes lots of conctrenation. First of all, folks who have been swimming for a while can't really relate to the level of instruction new swimmers need. So new swimmers will tend to really like the Total Immersion stuff - folks who've been at it a while probably don't. On the other hand when it comes to instruction and workout style; people who learned as adults and people who'v ebeen swimming for long time probably have very different preferences due to their backgrounds.
Jeff, on another post breaststrokers are weak backstrokers, it was discussed that shorter people tend to do better with breaststroke. The top male breastroker is from Japan. And most American swimmers are of European descent. Europeans tend to be taller. Granted, European countries have a tradition of learning breaststroke first but in the US Free is usually learned first. Also, the only person of Mexican descent to win gold a medal at the 1968 olympics was in the 200 meter breaststroker. That was the only gold medal that Mexico won in swimming. And Mexicans are as we know are descented both from an asian people that came centuries ago from Asia to North America and Spainards-Europeans.
