Basic Swimming

Some people think that learning to float and dog paddle is enough to say that a person knows how to swim. This is only the tip of the iceberg since there are other ways to swim faster in the water.

The most basic swimming stroke to learn is freestyle. The person doesn't only let the arms go forward and all the way to back but must also observe proper technique to do this right.

The instructor will let the person first do some drills. With both arms in front, one hand will go down and catch water then exit passing the thigh. The same hand must touch the other which in turn will go through the same motion.

The hands should be relaxed and not to tight when entering the water. This will allow the person to catch more water and maximize the distance each lap.

Some instructors will let the students perform the drills first on land before doing this in the water. Since the distance each lap is quite far, another thing taught is proper breathing. This happens when the touches the thigh and the head is turned simultaneously to one side to get water.

Some people might make the mistake of using the nose to get air but people are able to get more oxygen using the mouth. This is a bit different than what people normally do on land but the individual will get the hang of things shortly.
This exercise can also be done by learning how to hold one's breath underwater. When the person is able to hold for 10 seconds or more, this is already sufficient since the individual can breathe after every other stroke.

Swimming involves every muscle in the body so the legs must help out the hands in making the person move in the water. The term called for kicking is called flutter. The power comes from the thighs and not the feet. This is because the muscles in this part are bigger and gives more strength for propulsion.

A lot of drills can be done to strengthen the lower part of the body. The person can kick with a board; the hands can be placed in front and only raise the head to get air or to do this on the side.

Rolling from one side to other helps the person create a body roll which is also important in catching the water per stroke. This is because the person can move faster this way than just staying flat on the surface.

When the person knows the basics, the only thing needed now is practice. The person can be given a mini workout wherein there is a time interval that must be achieved every number of laps. Most gyms have a pace clock or the instructor can send off the person using each set with a timer.

Swimming isn't about creating splashes. This is all about technique and making each stroke count to be faster and smoother in the water. The person will not be able to watch the movements so the instructor can correct this making the observations.

The instructor can also use a video cam to show the person the mistakes made during the stroke. Improvements can be shown using before and after footage that will really make one happy to know that this is finally being done the proper way.