Beginner Swimming Advice

Hi Scott,

I've been there.  I guess I am still kinda there.  The best thing I did was get some lessons that helped me relax in the water and get better balance so I wasn't fighting it as much.  I also bought the total immersion DVD and I practice balance drills every time i swim.  You can see much of this stuff on youtube if you search for total immersion or swimming tips, also try the website swimsmooth.  But as a raw beginner I recommend lessons as you can only teach yourself so much without being able to see what you are doing.

Good luck!

I am far from an expert.....I was/am in the same boat. I to did Milton and barely got half the swim in with freestyle and my time was 10:30...so nice work on the breastroke.

As mentioned, if you can get a coach this would help out immensly...technique IMO is critical.

What I have learned since I startd swimming this past March and the biggest of all for me was to learn how to swim slow. Sounds strange but I was trying to swim to fast for my endurance and could only do 25/50m at a time before being gased. Slow and methodical, focusing on technique ...the better my technique became the better my breathing and endurance improved and subsequent time.

I swim a 2:10 100m and that is my comfort zone...before I was trying to push sub 2 min and as mentioned...pooched long before I could get any descent training in.

Good luck with the swimming...

I came to swimming for tri from being a total non-swimmer so for me all of the strokes were exhausting when i was learning.

But the main thing about freestyle - for me- was learning to relax.  Take it slower, and get into a space where you you can breathe comfortably.  Take as long as you need to breathe to start out.  You're probably doing this but you need to breathe out completely under water before inhaling. 

Also, if you're a runner you probably kick too much.  You do need to kick, you just don't need to kick as hard.  I know this  was a big factor for me.  Focus on the pull

Lessons or a masters group are a great way to work on it.  For me, i took lessons (but the kind for just learning to swim) and then used the beginner swim program on this site and it works through drills (building form) and building endurance.  After about a year of working on it on my own and getting through Muskoka 70.3 on freestyle.  I am now attending a coached session to work on my form and speed.

It really comes down to practice and patience.

Thanks everyone.   Really great advice!

I have made an effort to slow my pace down as well as to cut back on my kicking and have noticed an improvement.

The YMCA in the area offers a front crawl clinic which I intend to sign up for once I can swim a few lengths without a break.

Thanks again for the advice.

Scott

I agree that a coach or a Masters group is probably you best route to improvement. You can also check out Swim Smooth. A great site with lots of good video and tips. http://www.swimsmooth.com/

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