For years most of us are taught that to swim faster we must train harder and train more often. In reality, the best swimmers in the world work on the correct technique more than anything else. Swimming is not about thrashing out lap after lap in the pool. Swimming fast is about reducing drag. That’s where the most improvement will be found.
Here are a few tips to help you swim freestyle like a champion:
Train to perfect technique, not to get fit: Everyone must start out by first getting technique right, and then progressing on to improving fitness. By not focusing on the right freestyle technique at the start, you’re training won’t help you swim faster.
Find a coach or mentor: One of the unwritten rules of swimming is that ‘whatever it feels like you’re doing in the water, you’re probably doing the exact opposite’. The quickest way to get better at swimming is to have a qualified person give you feedback on your technique. You can either find a coach in your local area or find a coach online. There are many coaches who allow you send a video of yourself over the internet and they will email you back with advice.
Educate yourself: Just as though you would attend college to become a doctor, you must study swimming to become good at it. It is much cheaper than a college education though! Read the books, watch the DVD’s and buy the programs which will show you the correct technique and how to achieve it.
Never quit: Swimming fast takes time. It won’t happen in a day, a week or even a month. Persist with your swimming and be consistent with your practice. Don’t train for 3 days in a row and then take a week off and expect for results to show. You must be consistent and focus always getting better through practicing the right technique
Discover the quickest way to a perfect swimming technique at http://effortless-swimming.com
Watch the video related to swimming techniques
Six-Time Ironman Champion Dave Scott demonstrates several techniques to help ensure you’re getting the most from your swim strokes. Active.com is the leading online community for people who want to discover, learn about, share, register for and ultimately participate in activities about which they are passionate. Check us out here at www.active.com
Help answer the question about swimming techniques
Can you help me with swimming techniques?I am a competiitive swimmer and I'm best at backstroke, however I also swim a lot of butterfly. I'm pretty good, but I was wondering if anyone knew some really good techniques for these strokes…or any of the strokes. Don't say just practice because I have that every day!! Please help!
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Brenton Ford -
About the Author:
@branodi haha that was funny
Lol, only a week and passionate. Good! Well, since I like to pretend to be a know-it-all, much to the frustration of others here (hey guys!) ill give you other stroke stuff too.
DIVING::When you dive, look down, not out. Don't look down so far so you see between your legs, because it will throw you off balance. Hook your toes around the edge of the block for a better push off, and use your arms to throw you outward. Main thing? Don't do a belly flop.
TURNS:: When doing freestyle, don't breath within two strokes of going into the wall and coming out from it. This is difficult at first, but the more you do it, the better and easier it will come. Flip fast, kick hard, do butterfly kick off the wall and streamline. Streamline your arms should be right at or behind your ears. DON'T LOOK UP!
When doing breast stroke, imagine your arms shooting from a gun, and how fast it is. When you breath, and when you push your arms out, do it really fast. Don't pause in your stroke while breathing, and don't bob your head (Like, looking way up, then looking way down as you go in the water, repeating) that takes way too much energy.
Butterfly turns you almost take off on your back. Throw your arm up and over your head, push HARD. Two hands to the wall, like breast stroke.
Backstroke find your stroke count from the flags, or learn to estimate distance (my technique is estimation, not always accurate, but better for me). When you flip on to your stomach, never stop pulling water with your hands.
BREATHING: Anything in or out of the water will do. I use fins or such and swim wall to wall without breathing more then (1-2) times. Do this alot, or look up meditation breathing excersizes. These work as well. inhale 8, hold 10, exhale 8s
TECHNIQUE:: Some basic techniques are: butterfly arms/breast stroke or vice versa kick, Zipper (drag thumb from stomach to armpit), Tarzan (hehe, keep your head totally out of water while keeping it strait), catch-up (meet hands together while freestyling on strokes), 3-3-3 (butterfly, 3 one arm, 3 other arm, 3 full stroke), deep diving (dive as far as possible on butterfly stokes), deep reach (on backstroke, reach as far as you can to the bottom), etc. I'm sure you know a lot of these.
BUTTERFLY KICK:: Roll. Don't see-saw, which is like belly, chest, belly, chest. Think of a wave, as is the butterfly motion. Roll like a wave from your belly, ribs, chest, neck, head. that kind of thing. do the worm in the water, this will help you. Use your legs, but generate the motion of your legs from your stomach. its hard to explain without visual aid.
I don't watch swimming videos but for inspiration. You may do so, but don't rely on videos to teach you the correct thing. DOING will teach you the right, and videos run the risk of bad technique too (not that michael is bad…teehee) =D
GOOD LUCK!!!