Help with swimming

S

spicypumpkin

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So, I'm taking a basic swimming class and we're learning some basic strokes. I'm having a lot of difficulty with freestyle. Apparently it's supposed to be the most natural stroke, but I just can't seem to grasp the concept of it. We're doing lots of drills, but those don't seem to help much. The kicking just seems so inefficient and for all of the energy I'm putting into the movement, I'm just not getting that much distance out of it. I'm also having trouble with the timing of the breathing. I can't figure out when to breathe, and when I try to breathe I end up taking in a mouthful of water. I'm also really out of breath pretty much the whole time I'm swimming freestyle.

We just started learning breaststroke and I'm doing phenomenally well with that. It is so much easier and I can go so much faster without even getting out of breath. The teacher even said I was doing really well but said that I needed to think of freestyle in the same way (as in, it has a set rhythm that should be followed.) Right now, the freestyle just seems like a disorganized kicking and stroking spree that leaves me out of breath and confused.

I'm puzzled as to why I can do really well with the breaststroke but terrible with the freestyle.

Tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. I know there are some good swimmers here.
 
You need to choose what breathing pattern is right for you. I prefer to breath on every third stroke. I think alot of the problem with people learining freestyle is they try to do too fast. Your legs usually kick at a different rate than your stroke. Legs slightly bent pushing down through the water.

As for breathing, while you swim exhale your air into the water. Part of the problem might be that while you turn your head to take air you spend half the time exhaling and by the time you come to inhale your rotating your face back into the water.
 
Spicy, your problems with learning are normal. I have been learning for 8 months (minus 3 months) and I am still in learning mode, although I am much better. You have a teacher/coach, with practice you will be develop better form and better specific musculature.
 
NBS 4life said:
I think alot of the problem with people learining freestyle is they try to do too fast.
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This is the key. Slow down. Go slow enough that you're not running out of breath, can perfect your breathing, and work on the mechanics. Once you're comfortable with your stroke and breathing, speed it up a bit. If it helps, stop kicking your legs and just let them drag behind you. Keep your toes pointed though or you'll slow yourself down.
 
Thanks everyone. This is all very useful advice.

One thing that I have noticed is that I do better on the drills where we are only using our legs or arms. I seem to go faster and not get so out of breath when we're kicking with the kick board. I also seem to go faster just using my arms with the kick board between my legs. I'm not sure why this is. When I put the two together, I just wear myself out and then can't go very far.

I'll try to slow it down, I think I'm putting too much pressure on myself to go fast without doing it right.
 
spicypumpkin said:
Thanks everyone. This is all very useful advice.

One thing that I have noticed is that I do better on the drills where we are only using our legs or arms. I seem to go faster and not get so out of breath when we're kicking with the kick board. I also seem to go faster just using my arms with the kick board between my legs. I'm not sure why this is. When I put the two together, I just wear myself out and then can't go very far.

I'll try to slow it down, I think I'm putting too much pressure on myself to go fast without doing it right.
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This happens to me too. I suspect your legs are dragging so when you use a pull buoy or kickboard to keep your legs up, you are more horizontal and streamlined and efficient. When you kick with the kickboard, your head is out of the water and you can breath as fast and as hard as you need.

But, I'm still learning, so take this for what it is worth...

Sparrow is a competitive swimmer. You might want to pm her.
 
spicypumpkin said:
Thanks everyone. This is all very useful advice.

One thing that I have noticed is that I do better on the drills where we are only using our legs or arms. I seem to go faster and not get so out of breath when we're kicking with the kick board. I also seem to go faster just using my arms with the kick board between my legs. I'm not sure why this is. When I put the two together, I just wear myself out and then can't go very far.

I'll try to slow it down, I think I'm putting too much pressure on myself to go fast without doing it right.
Click to expand...

You should go faster when you have the kickboard or a pull buoy between your legs. These items will keep your legs from dragging in the water. This is one of the reasons why they tell you to keep your head down in the water. If your head is up, your feet are most likely dragging you down.

Just put the pool toys away and try to focus on a few things rather than everything. Do it slow and then work on the speed after you're comfortable with the technique, breathing, etc.
 
the arm movement makes for most of the forward movement in all the styles. The legs are more there for control, they don't give you a lot of help with propulsion.
 
The freestyle is a constant flutter kick with about 80-90% of the propulsion done by the arms.

The fact is a lot of people do too fast and do a "slapping" motion and mix the breathing method or they kick too hard. This can tire you out quite fast.

The trick I found is the reach method. Like combining a sidestroke style with the freestroke. Think of a saw so to speak. You reach out with your leading arm like you're picking an apple, then bring the arm down like a helicopter towards your waist. As this happens, your other arm should go forward striking the water downwards without "slapping." Then you repeat this pattern all the while you do a constant flutter kick.

Okay, I don't think I explained that really well. lol.

Here's a good video of it: .

Let me know how you progress though. :) In about three weeks, you should have no problem in doing a mile or more with whatever method you want.
 
Dallen said:
Spicy, how did you do this week?
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This week was pretty good. We did a lot more breaststroke work, which I was happy about. When we were doing freestyle, the teacher told me I was doing a lot better. I think what I need to work on is the side to side rotation. Before, I was just swimming flat on my stomach which was making it really hard to breathe. I found out that it's actually easier to breathe with the rotation.

We also started working on butterfly. Oh my goodness, I really don't get it. I've never even learned how to do the kick. It feels like I'm a confused fish flopping around in the water when I try to do it. When we added the arms and the breathing, it just made it even worse. Now, whenever I do the arm pull and come up for air, I sink. I'm not quite sure what I'm doing wrong. That is one weird stroke.

Overall though, I can tell I've improved a lot. We did a test swim today for 15 minutes to see how many laps we could do. I got 23 and a half, not bad I guess. I was doing breaststroke most of the time, but switched to sidestroke every once in a while when I got tired. We're going to do it again at the end of the class in 3 weeks. I'm shooting for 30 laps. That would be nice.
 
Good job on the swimming Spice. Sounds like you are making a lot of good progress already. I know many swimmers who will swear freestyle is definitely NOT the most natural stroke and will prefer breaststroke any day!

As you have found, rotation plays HUGE into freestyle. Its the difference between being a rowboat and a canoe. you are simply creating more drag in the water if you are flat. You are also creating a lot of extra work for your shoulders which can turn into injury.

I know you do some weight lifting so I'll try and use this analogy. If you go into the weight room and do the one arm bent dumbbell row staying static you will find your shoulders will fatigue very rapidly and the weight feels rather heavy right? Try it. What is that exercise for? Mostly your lats right but since you're staying static pulling only with your shoulders you are tiring quickly. Do it again but engage your lat muscles by opening your chest up as you pull up (twisting for an increased range of motion like starting a lawn mower). All the sudden you have way more power beacause you are using bigger muscles.

Same in the water. Staying flat means you are pulling with your shoulders. Rotating is engaging lat and other back muscles which can last much longer. Its also increasing your pull by many inches.

Keep your head down (as has been mentioned) head up creates drag and sinks your legs.

The other reason new swimmers sink is that they pull too quicly. They don't take time out front after their hand enters the water to grab onto the water. When you are breathing you should be literally laying an ear down on or near your other outstretched arm. You will start to pull that arm as your face goes back into the water. I didn't look at the youtube links some others posted but I'm sure they will model that.

Good luck! Sounds fun!
 
Now I need help with butterfly. :(

Thanks for the advice and videos everyone. I've really been working on extending my arms and rotating enough and my freestyle is getting a lot better. But I have a new challenge.

We just started learning butterfly and I cannot understand it. The breathing/arm pull thing is making it hard. I sink every time I try to breathe and I can't maintain that confusing kick.
 
Do it out of water first.

1.Stand with legs together arms extended in front of you. This is your starting position.
Basically your arms are going to rotate in big forward circles

2. Do the movement of your arms rotating forward slowly at the same time over and over (something you might do to warm up for an aerobics class or something)

3. Now this time when you rotate forward circles as your hands meet up at the front (your starting position) you are going to "bow" as if you really were bowing in front of someone, bend at hips, straight back, head down. Do this many times: arms circle, then bow, arms circle, then bow.

4. Once you have this down do it again but lift your head forward to "breathe" as your hands start to pull backwards for another circle right after you've bowed.

..this takes some time and coordination to master-try and do it in front of the mirror

Do this much and then tell me how its going.
 
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