Do you have to swim on a team to improve?

I think you have to swim when your life, family, work, etc allow. When you have found that time that works for your swimming if there is a coached team available I tend to believe that you will benefit more from that versus flying solo. Some people can also train solo very effectively. This is not the case with me in the least.

How experienced do you have to be join a team? What does ones fitness level have to be like? I just started swimming again 3 or so weeks ago, initially to lose some weight, but I have fallen in love with it. I know how to "swim" in the recreational, not exactly 100% proper technique sense, and am working hard at trying to get better, as I would like to enter some OW swims/friendly competitions one of these years. So in that sense, I think I would benefit from some coaching and teamwork (not unless someone has a better suggestion). I am in Canada though, so I am not sure how and if our Masters groups differ from the U.S ones.

How experienced do you have to be join a team? What does ones fitness level have to be like? I just started swimming again 3 or so weeks ago, initially to lose some weight, but I have fallen in love with it. I know how to "swim" in the recreational, not exactly 100% proper technique sense, and am working hard at trying to get better, as I would like to enter some OW swims/friendly competitions one of these years. So in that sense, I think I would benefit from some coaching and teamwork (not unless someone has a better suggestion). I am in Canada though, so I am not sure how and if our Masters groups differ from the U.S ones. In high school to make Jr. Varsity you just had to show up. As long as you put in the time the coach helped you get where you needed to go. From what I've seen, the same is true of all the masters programs. If you're able to swim 25y without stopping, and have a general idea of what freestyle looks like I don't see why they wouldn't take you in. At first it'll be frustrating seeing people do 3,000y sets with only 1 or 2 minutes total break, but you'll get to that point too after a couple months of showing up every day and putting your best effort in. When I started high school swimming we did a 500y for time, it took me 10:58 to complete it. After 6 months of swimming with the team I had it down to a 6:45.32. You'll make remarkable progress if you just keep at it.

Technically I swim with a team. I am in the pool the same time as other Masters swimmers. However, 90+% of my workout is done on my own pace and different time than the other swimmers. Much of this is because I start 30 minutes later than the 6 a.m. crowd, and 30 minutes earlier than the 7 a.m. crowd. Since I am unwilling to get up even earlier, or get to work later, that's how it works out. And my "team" is loosely structure which means we can swim whenever. Most of the time I use between half and three quarters of the planned workout. I am 50, have been swimming for 4 years now and doing PBs. Like Fortress - I have a hard time with aerobic sets. One - I don't like them anyways. Two - it is hard to swim them hard relying purely on my motivation (or lack of). But I most like to have people to swim with on sprints - because it is more like racing.

Much like some others here, I practice alone as I don't really have access to a team near me. If I did I would definitely join though as I question if I am truly able to push myself enough on my own.

I have been swimming Masters 35 years and have had less than 10 coached workouts during that time.If you are going to have success by your self you are going to have to learn coaching.You need to know about stroke mechanics,pace,aerobic threshold,lactic acid tolerance etc.It is also important to do regular video tape review and periodic stroke analysis by someone who knows what they are doing.

I haven't swum on a team or had coached workouts since I began swimming Masters, five or six years ago. Usually they swim before dawn! And in my case there are no teams close by anyway so I go to the YMCAs. I have had some of my life time best swims (I quit competing after high school and one year of college). I think in most cases it is a good idea to swim with a team and to have experienced swimmers who can give you ideas, share technique, etc. I have heard that some coaches can be very helpful. Finally, depending on your make up, for most it helps to have a group that "expects" you to show up and to help push you in workouts. I just happen to be kind of obsessive and a bit masochistic so I don't need group support to put myself in pain. I think healthier souls probably do better swimming with a workout group. Same story for me, and I agree with what Greg has said. I've been training mostly solo and uncoached for 4+ years. Masters PBs and still seem to be improving. I think it might be somewhat easier for sprinters to train alone. My biggest challenge is doing hard aerobic work solo. I don't do much of it, focusing on race pace work instead, but it's hard to do intense short rest stuff without a team. It's also, of course, hard to get feedback on technique training solo.

I swim alone, because of distance, lack of local groups, and work. If there was a close team, I would definately make the jump for the same reasons Fort names above. Self-motivation is one thing... but having someone else to gasp with, and nod and go with in the midst of a tough set makes those sets more tolerable and manageable. You feel accountable to the group, in addition to yourself. The other big plus is having someone to share ideas with, and to have available to critique your stroke.

20 years on my own & 12 with teams has made me MUCH better! I would never work myself as hard as I do with the team & lane mates that push me even harder ! It's more fun as well.

My key is that I need a coach - someone standing on deck and in a sense forcing me to do every last year and set they have in mind. The only thing worse then me not motivated to swim is me with two or three swim buddies all not motivated to swim. Then we just end up floating around chatting until we are cold enough to jump in the spa!