Contents
Swimming is a sport that requires a lot of technique and practice to perfect. If you’re looking to get better at swimming, follow these tips and tricks from the experts.
Checkout this video:
The Basics
If you’re just getting started with swimming, or if you’re looking to improve your technique, there are a few basics that you need to know. In this section, we’ll go over some of the key points that will help you swim better. We’ll cover everything from how to hold your breath to how to generate more power in your strokes.
The importance of a strong swimming foundation
Why is it so important to have a strong swimming foundation?
One of the main reasons is because it will make you a better swimmer overall. It’s difficult to swim with poor technique and a poor foundation will only hinder your progress. A strong swimming foundation will also help prevent injuries.
Another reason why a strong swimming foundation is important is because it will make you more efficient in the water. This means that you’ll be able to swim for longer periods of time without getting tired. This is especially important if you’re training for a long-distance event or competition.
So, how do you go about building a strong swimming foundation?
The first step is to master the basic techniques of swimming. This includes learning how to breathe properly, how to move your arms and legs efficiently, and how to maintain good body posture in the water. These are the building blocks of good swimming technique and should be mastered before moving on to more advanced skills.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can start working on building your endurance and strength. Endurance can be improved by swim training programs that involve swimming for long periods of time at a moderate pace. Strength can be improved by doing specific exercises that target the muscles used in swimming.
If you want to swim better, faster, and stronger, then it’s essential that you have a strong swimming foundation. Master the basics, build your endurance and strength, and always focus on improving your technique. Do these things and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a better swimmer!
The four main strokes
Swimming consists of four main strokes: freestyle (or front crawl), breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly.
Freestyle is the most popular stroke used in swimming competitions. In this stroke, the swimmer propels themselves through the water by alternating their arms over their head in a windmill motion and kicking their legs.
Breaststroke is a slower stroke than freestyle but is often used in swimming competitions as it is less tiring. In breaststroke, the swimmer propels themselves through the water using a frog-like kick and bringing their arms back and forth in a semicircular motion.
Backstroke is similar to freestyle but is swum on your back instead of your front. It is often used in swimming competitions as it allows the swimmer to rest every few strokes. In backstroke, the swimmer propels themselves through the water by alternating their arms over their head in a windmill motion and kicking their legs.
Butterfly is the fastest of all the strokes but is also the most tiring. In butterfly, the swimmer propels themselves through the water by flapping their arms up and down in a wingspan motion and kicking their legs together.
Technique
If you want to swim faster, there are a few key techniques you can focus on. The first is to streamline your body as much as possible. This means tucking your chin, narrowing your body, and pointing your toes. You should also try to generate as much power as possible with each stroke. Another key technique is to practice your starts and turns. These can be the difference between winning and losing a race.
Proper body alignment in the water
One of the most important aspects of proper swimming technique is body alignment in the water. If your body is not properly aligned, you will not be able to swim efficiently and will tire quickly. There are three main points of focus when it comes to aligning your body in the water:
1. Your head should be in line with your back and your chin should be parallel to the water’s surface.
2. Your shoulders should be level with the water’s surface, and your arms should be at your sides with your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
3. Your hips and legs should be in line with each other, and your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle.
If you can focus on these three points of alignment, you will be well on your way to swimming with proper technique!
Kicking technique
Most swimmers use what’s called the “flutter kick” to propel themselves through the water. The flutter kick is basically a quick up-and-down movement of the legs, with the ankles doing most of the work.
To do a proper flutter kick, start by lying on your stomach in the water. Point your toes and keep your legs straight. Then, quickly move your feet up and down, using your ankles to do most of the work. Keep your knees relatively close together as you kick.
If you’re having trouble getting the hang of it, practice by lying on your back on the ground with your legs in the air. Kick your legs up and down, using your ankles to do most of the work.
Once you’ve mastered the flutter kick, you can experiment with different kicks to see what works best for you. Some swimmers prefer to use a dolphin kick, which is basically a flutter kick with both legs moving together. Others prefer to use a breaststroke kick, which is a wide kicking motion that propels you forward while also keeping your head above water.
Kicking is an important part of swimming, but it’s not the only thing you need to focus on. You also need to make sure you have good technique for strokes such as the freestyle or breaststroke. But if you can master kicking, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a better swimmer!
Proper arm stroke
The main strokes used in freestyle are the breaststroke, backstroke, sidestroke, and butterfly. Each stroke has different techniques that help a swimmer move through the water more efficiently.
To properly execute a freestyle stroke, extend your arms forward and keep them parallel to the surface of the water. As you reach forward, your fingertips should be pointing toward the bottom of the pool. When your hands enter the water, think about “catching” the water and pulling it back toward your body. As you pull back, keep your elbows close to your body and tuck your chin so that you can breathe easily. Remember to kick your legs throughout the stroke; this will help you move through the water more quickly.
The breaststroke is another popular choice for freestyle swimming. To properly execute this stroke, begin by lying on your stomach with your arms extended in front of you. When you are ready to begin, bring your arms back toward your body and tuck your chin so that you can breathe easily. As you pull back, keep your elbows close to your body and tuck your chin so that you can breathe easily. Remember to kick your legs throughout the stroke; this will help you move through the water more quickly
Drills
Kick drills
Kick drills are one of the best ways to improve your swimming. By focusing on your kick, you can develop a strong and efficient kicking technique.
There are a variety of kick drills you can do to improve your swimming. Here are a few examples:
1. Swim with a kickboard. Hold the kickboard in front of you with both hands and kick your legs. Focus on keeping your kicks steady and powerful.
2. Do flutter kicks. Lie on your back in the water and kick your legs up and down. Keep your legs straight and focus on keeping a steady rhythm.
3. Do frog kicks. Start by lying on your stomach in the water. Then, kick your legs up and down like a frog. Keep your knees bent and try to keep your feet together as you kick.
4. Do eggbeater kicks. Start by treading water with your arms only. Then, lift one leg up so that your thigh is parallel to the surface of the water and start kicking quickly with the other leg in a small circular motion. As you get tired, switch legs so that the other leg is doing the eggbeater kick.
Stroke drills
Stroke drills are a great way to practice and improve your swimming technique. By focusing on one aspect of your stroke at a time, you can identify and correct any bad habits that you may have developed.
There are a variety of different stroke drills that you can do, and the best way to find out which ones work best for you is to experiment. Some popular stroke drills include the following:
-Kick Drill: This drill is designed to help you focus on your kick technique. To do this drill, simply swim with your arms by your sides and kick as hard as you can.
-Arm Drill: This drill is designed to help you focus on your arm technique. To do this drill, simply swim with your arms extended in front of you and focus on keeping them straight.
-Finger Drill: This drill is designed to help you focus on keeping your fingers together when you swim. To do this drill, interlace your fingers and then swim with your arms extended in front of you.
-Breath Drill: This drill is designed to help you focus on your breathing technique. To do this drill, take a breath every three strokes instead of every two strokes.
Breathing drills
One of the main aspects that affect your performance while swimming is your breathing. Most swimmers tend to hold their breath while swimming, which not only limits their oxygen intake but also makes them tense up, affecting their stroke. Proper breathing allows you to relax and maintain a good stroke. Here are some drills you can do to help you get better at breathing while swimming.
1. One-arm freestyle with bilateral breathing: This is a great drill to get you used toalternating your breathing while swimming. To do this drill, swim freestyle with one arm,while keeping the other arm at your side. Every three strokes, switch the arm that’s up andthe arm that’s down, and breathe to the side that has the arm up.
2. Head-up freestyle: This drill is great for getting you used to exhaling fully and inhalingquickly and easily while swimming. To do this drill, swim freestyle with your head abovewater, so that your mouth and nose are clear of the water. Every time you exhale, try topuff out all the air until your lungs are completely empty before taking another breath in.
Training
The best way to get better at swimming is to train regularly. You should try to swim at least three times a week, and if you can swim more often, that’s even better. Swimming is a great workout for your whole body, and it’s also a lot of fun. When you’re training, you should focus on your technique and try to improve your strokes. You should also focus on your breathing, and make sure you’re breathing evenly.
Building endurance
Building endurance is one of the most important aspects of training for a swimmer. It is important to be able to swim for long periods of time without tiring in order to be successful in races. There are a few different ways that you can build endurance, including:
• Swimming long distances: This is perhaps the most obvious way to build endurance. By swimming long distances, you will slowly be able to increase the amount of time that you can swim without tiring.
• Interval training: Interval training involves swimming short distances at a high intensity, followed by a period of rest. This type of training will help your body to better cope with the demands of swimming for long periods of time.
• Cross-training: Cross-training refers to participating in other activities that can help improve your endurance. This might include running, biking, or even weightlifting. By participating in other forms of exercise, you can give your body a break from swimming while still helping to improve your overall endurance.
Interval training
Interval training is a great way to improve your swimming speed and endurance. It involves swimming at your maximum speed for a set distance or time, then resting for a set period of time. This type of training helps your body to adapt to swimming at higher speeds and can help you to swim faster for longer periods of time.
Race-specific training
In order to swim your best in a race, you need to do race-specific training. This means that you need to swim at or near race pace in training so that your body gets used to swimming fast and knows how to produce the speed on race day.
There are a few ways to do this:
– Swimming time trials: Time yourself swimming a certain distance (usually 100m or 200m) and try to beat your time each time. This will help you get used to swimming fast and help you learn what pace you need to swim on race day.
– Swimming with a group: Find a group of friends or fellow swimmers who are training for a similar event and do some of your workouts with them. This will help you get used to swimming fast in a group and will also make the workouts more enjoyable.
– Swimming intervals: Swim a few laps at race pace with some rest in between. This will help you get used to swimming fast for short periods of time and help your body learn how to recover quickly so that you can swim even faster on race day.
