I've tried really hard for the past week or so, granted no one ever taught me how to swim freestyle, i tried by observing others and reading here along with books, videos, etc.
So far I've tried- really reach for the light bulb method from one of the DVD forgot the name, where you try to swim on a streamline position, rotate through my hips, elbows high, fingertips dragging along water surface.
My coach told me to try to keep my chin close to my chest and rotate that way - tried that and I drink water.
Sculling and try to pretend that i'm pushing water behind me and pulling myself forward, none of this help.
My stroke count is horrid at 25-26 per 25 meter, and I'm slow as a snail.
Is there anything else I can do? I'm already swimming with the masters class and i am not sure keep pushing myself to do the sets will get me anywhere?
Thanks for letting me rant, but maybe i'm just hopeless?!
Parents
Former Member
Second the comments above - I too am a late starter into swimming as an exercise outlet and replacement for my beloved running that my body just won't allow me to continue to sustain good fitness. Just started swim training last year and I too couldn't get the breathing right for more than about a lap and a half.
The first TI book, Total Immersion: A better... 1996 & 2005 editions, was good at helping me. The best for me is the Swimming Made Easy: The TI Way... it has really good step by step drills and photos. Not sure why, but for me the first book has too many words, not enough succinct step-by-step that is in the Swimming Made Easy book.
The first TI book was available from our public library, but after two fines for keeping them past due dates, went out and bought them both off amazon.com, then copied the drills section from Swimming Made Easy: The TI Way... and reduced them to fit the step-by-step drills in clear photo pages so I could have them at poolside. There are drill cards you can buy, which may save you the hassle. See TI shop laminated TI drill card set. I still refer to them frequently and there are several drills that I have combined into one routine that I do every swim session.
Now, I'm not fast, either. But I went from unable to do more than 100 repeats without a swim snorkel to completing 1650y and 1 hour swims comfortably within a year! It helped that our coach worked with me, since I was the only one with no swimming background at all. Just this past month or so finally got really comfortable with flip turns. Hadn't been doing them in the prior long pool swims, but now can do so even in practice where we did 40x75 last night.
BTW - one of our local competitive Masters teams uses swim snorkels to allow swimmers to focus on stroke refinement and not be concerned about breathing patterns! I got one on eBay for $10 + $10 s/h, and am about to put my Finis freestyle snorkel up for sale there as I've only used it 3 times. But I still carry the other style Finis snorkel all the time though haven't used it in a couple of months (used last when working on flip turns). Swim snorkel can be great help, but also can be a bit of a crutch if not used with a plan to get off it.
So you CAN do it. I think the TI message is excellent and apropos here - ANYONE (physically capable) CAN LEARN TO SWIM EFFICIENTLY!
Stick with it!
Second the comments above - I too am a late starter into swimming as an exercise outlet and replacement for my beloved running that my body just won't allow me to continue to sustain good fitness. Just started swim training last year and I too couldn't get the breathing right for more than about a lap and a half.
The first TI book, Total Immersion: A better... 1996 & 2005 editions, was good at helping me. The best for me is the Swimming Made Easy: The TI Way... it has really good step by step drills and photos. Not sure why, but for me the first book has too many words, not enough succinct step-by-step that is in the Swimming Made Easy book.
The first TI book was available from our public library, but after two fines for keeping them past due dates, went out and bought them both off amazon.com, then copied the drills section from Swimming Made Easy: The TI Way... and reduced them to fit the step-by-step drills in clear photo pages so I could have them at poolside. There are drill cards you can buy, which may save you the hassle. See TI shop laminated TI drill card set. I still refer to them frequently and there are several drills that I have combined into one routine that I do every swim session.
Now, I'm not fast, either. But I went from unable to do more than 100 repeats without a swim snorkel to completing 1650y and 1 hour swims comfortably within a year! It helped that our coach worked with me, since I was the only one with no swimming background at all. Just this past month or so finally got really comfortable with flip turns. Hadn't been doing them in the prior long pool swims, but now can do so even in practice where we did 40x75 last night.
BTW - one of our local competitive Masters teams uses swim snorkels to allow swimmers to focus on stroke refinement and not be concerned about breathing patterns! I got one on eBay for $10 + $10 s/h, and am about to put my Finis freestyle snorkel up for sale there as I've only used it 3 times. But I still carry the other style Finis snorkel all the time though haven't used it in a couple of months (used last when working on flip turns). Swim snorkel can be great help, but also can be a bit of a crutch if not used with a plan to get off it.
So you CAN do it. I think the TI message is excellent and apropos here - ANYONE (physically capable) CAN LEARN TO SWIM EFFICIENTLY!
Stick with it!
