swimming for beginners .. plssss help

Here is my experience. Before age 38 I could dog paddle, swim under water, was not afraid of the water. But I could not swim all the way across a 25 yard pool. I knew a lot about technique because my kids swam, and I learned a lot from listening to their coaches, private and club. At 38, my youngest was 7 and swimming fairly well, so I decided to take lessons at the local YMCA so I could start swimming laps. I took two 5 week lessons, which was enough for me to swim about a 50(two lengths) of freestyle, a little bit of backstroke, some breaststroke. I could not do flip turns, did open turns. I practiced on my own through out the summer, managed to swim as far as a 100 without stopping and joined the Y's Master's group in the fall and started in the very, very, very slow lane. Master's is where I learned tons and tons and started to really get better. By October, about 6 months after I started, I was able to swim 1000 yards straight very slowly, could do back, and ***, and the start of flip turns. It took two more years to be comfortable with flip turns, and to learn butterfly. I don't think swimming is easy to learn. It is one of the hardest things I have learned, but I really enjoy it now and swim 2500-3000 yards 4 times a week. Most important is to find a good teacher/coach. Someone who knows how to teach adults, and is encouraging because sometimes it really feels impossible!

This board is for anybody with an interest in swimming..or noodling as the case may be. Swimming is easy once you know what you are doing. Swimming fast and building endurance is not so easy and requires some dedication from the swimmer. 8 classes should be enough to make you sufficiently competent to make your way across the pool and back.

Originally posted by edifiz is this board only for professional swimmers ??.... The short answer is no, but it is funny you should ask because this is a topic of frequent debate, as evidenced by some of the currently active threads. This is an open swimming forum and requires no membership or affiliation of any kind. Swimmers of all levels are welcome. Feel free to start a new topic, especially if you have specific questions. Or you can try searching the archives on topics that interest you. I think swimming is easy, but like any physical endeavor some folks will find it easier to do than others. It is probably worth mentioning that humans are the only animals on Earth that do not instinctively know how to swim (or at least that’s what I’ve heard). My belief is that if you listen to your body (and your instructor) your natural instincts will kick in and it will be easy. Just try to relax and enjoy it. Ask you instructor at the end of your 8 classes if they think you are ready to swim on your own. They will be the one best suited to advise you on your next step. Swimming can be a lifetime educational experience. I prefer to focus on technique. And even after many, many hours and miles, over a number of years, I still find it a challenge to stay totally focused on technique. I’ve had some good teachers, and I’ve done a lot of self-study. I thoroughly enjoy the meditative quality of my swimming practice and can’t imagine being without it. I congratulate you on your decision to learn to swim. I think you will find the rewards well worth the effort.

"is this board only for professional swimmers ?? can someome pls help me with my queries ... i am 26 yr old and never learnt swimming or even really been in a pool .. i am a complete novice ... i am planning to take swimming lessons starting next week .. the course is 8 classes 1/2 each ... i would like to knw the following . 1. how easy/difficult swimming is 2. will these 8 classes be sufficient for me to swim in a pool without an instructor ." You can learn to swim at any age. In fact I've seen many people start to swim in later years. The real secret is about self motivation.A coach and lessons is the starting point.Time in the water practicing and building strength and staminar is the key.Do your own research as well. I'd recommend a series of lessons.....1 mths practice and another series of lessons etc... Asking questions here is a great idea and you'll be admired for that. Best wishes:)

thank you all soo much for replying and also for the encouragement ... i was not even aware of some of the 'terms' that you used .... i guess getting started is the first step .... thank you once again .... i guess i will have lot more queries once i start taking lessons .. :)

How easy is learning to swim? It depends what you mean by swimming. If you mean 'making it across the pool without drowning,' you can learn that relatively easily. If you mean 'learning how to do freestyle (or any combination of strokes),' that will take more time and effort. If you mean 'moving through the water quickly with grace and efficiency,' it will take a lifetime. Swimming is ultimately a learning process, as you first learn how to stay afloat, then learn the basics of the strokes, then gradually fine-tune them to improve your speed and efficiency. With 8 classes, you should probably be able to swim a little, but if you really want to improve you should keep taking classes or working with a coach at least some of the time.

Dear Edifiz: Swimming is fairly easy to learn once you overcome any discomfort you might have about being in deep water –IE- inhaling water or possibly drowning. I spent a while in Japan where the bathroom tub was actually a deep sink that could be filled with water to about 2-1/2 feet and this was the first time of my life where I experienced the basic sensation of “swimming”. So here’s my personal advice to anyone who has not learned to swim. Before going to a pool, you might try sitting in the middle of a hot tub until you just become buoyant, which is about chin deep. Then you can just use some broad hand and arm movements to stay afloat. Once you know how to overcome that fearful sinking effect, you will be comfortable with getting in the pool and learning the basic swimming positions. If possible, stay in an area that is no more than 4 to 5 feet deep so if you become uncomfortable or panicky, you can just get on your feet. Once you are comfortable being in the deep end of the pool, you can graduate to something more challenging and a lot more fun too. Good Luck and Happy Swimming Dolphin 2 :D