Swim happy

Great job Badger! Glad you're getting some work out of using the board and snorkel. It helps to keep your body in better alignment with how you swim (or should be swimming). Just as technique, think about your head and neck placement as you're kicking. You should be looking nearly straight down or maybe at a 20-30% angle just barely ahead. The water should be hitting the top of your head, not your forehead. This should be how your head placement should be while swimming too. It's good practice any time. another thing you might want to consider working on is sculling. You can google it for videos, but sculling can help you get a good feel for your hands and arms in the water for better pulling. Again, use the snorkel so you don't have to fight breathing. Wear fins or a pull bouy to keep your legs in alignment. Try sculling with your paddles at first to get a feel, then go bare handed to see how it affects. It can be very soothing as well, get into a zen mode. :) I swam on a team when I was a kid, so some stuff I/my body does remember - looking down at the line, shoulders against the ears (ie when kicking or diving), staying streamline. We used to do the drills where you held onto the side and kicked! Some of that may have of course changed in 20ish years. 😁 I don't remember ever sculling as part of stroke development, but it looks like pretty much the same concept as using your arms when treading water, or when you're floating on your back just casually propelling, is that right? I will try again Wednesday. (I have been alternating walking and swimming days - tomorrow is a walk day, and maybe a "climb on the cool playground equipment if there's no one there" day.)

Great job Badger! Glad you're getting some work out of using the board and snorkel. It helps to keep your body in better alignment with how you swim (or should be swimming). Just as technique, think about your head and neck placement as you're kicking. You should be looking nearly straight down or maybe at a 20-30% angle just barely ahead. The water should be hitting the top of your head, not your forehead. This should be how your head placement should be while swimming too. It's good practice any time. another thing you might want to consider working on is sculling. You can google it for videos, but sculling can help you get a good feel for your hands and arms in the water for better pulling. Again, use the snorkel so you don't have to fight breathing. Wear fins or a pull bouy to keep your legs in alignment. Try sculling with your paddles at first to get a feel, then go bare handed to see how it affects. It can be very soothing as well, get into a zen mode. :) I swam on a team when I was a kid, so some stuff I/my body does remember - looking down at the line, shoulders against the ears (ie when kicking or diving), staying streamline. We used to do the drills where you held onto the side and kicked! Some of that may have of course changed in 20ish years. 😁 I don't remember ever sculling as part of stroke development, but it looks like pretty much the same concept as using your arms when treading water, or when you're floating on your back just casually propelling, is that right? I will try again Wednesday. (I have been alternating walking and swimming days - tomorrow is a walk day, and maybe a "climb on the cool playground equipment if there's no one there" day.)