I posted here when I was just beginning to swim at the ripe age of 23.
Since a lot of people helped me both publicly and through private messages, I think you deserve an update.
I'm a lot more comfortable in the water these days. I'm still trying to perfect my breathing, but it's much less of a struggle.
I realized that THINKING and SWIMMING don't go well together. Once I stopped over-analyzing everything and started just focusing on swimming, more things fell into place.
As a beginner adult swimmer, here are the things that really helped me:
-- Swim, don't think (see above)
-- The kicking you see in TI videos is not the way most people kick... and if it is, it's not a good thing to think about when you're trying to kick better
-- Looking DOWN is bad. Look forward slightly.
-- Backstroke in busy pools with poor turbulence absorption (lane ropes, gutters) is a BAD idea.
-- You are too full of hot air to sink to the bottom of the deep end... if you want to kill yourself by going down there, you'll have to try pretty damned hard.
-- Anything that is supposed to help you float is in fact the best way to drown yourself
-- Drinking lots of chlorinated water will make you sick to your stomach and you'll think you have an ulcer for a month until you take a break from swimming and feel fine
-- Jammers are tight
-- Diving is fun
-- Diving improperly hurts
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Former Member
alpha, how are you buddy?? Been 4 months already? Boy time flies.. time to make another swim vid!
I enjoyed reading your post and i agree with most as well. I'm glad you've reduced the "seriousness" of your technique and just focus on having fun and swimming. I agree about the head down thing..i've tried it for 2 months and gave up. i feel a lot more streamlined and powerful when my head is slightly above and looking forward. it makes the breathing much easier too. (not forcing myself up to catch some air).
My kick is definitely one of my weaker points so i've been working on that lately. Is getting better but after 100 yard my legs get REALLY tired and i find myself almost dragging them to finish the set.
one last point. i like pyramids! right now i'm doing my modes 4x25,4x50,4x100,4x50,4x25.
Keep on swimming, and post a vid if you can!
alpha, how are you buddy?? Been 4 months already? Boy time flies.. time to make another swim vid!
I enjoyed reading your post and i agree with most as well. I'm glad you've reduced the "seriousness" of your technique and just focus on having fun and swimming. I agree about the head down thing..i've tried it for 2 months and gave up. i feel a lot more streamlined and powerful when my head is slightly above and looking forward. it makes the breathing much easier too. (not forcing myself up to catch some air).
My kick is definitely one of my weaker points so i've been working on that lately. Is getting better but after 100 yard my legs get REALLY tired and i find myself almost dragging them to finish the set.
one last point. i like pyramids! right now i'm doing my modes 4x25,4x50,4x100,4x50,4x25.
Keep on swimming, and post a vid if you can!
