Learning To Swim, Breaststroke, Crawl, Do a new Stroke

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
You are on holiday and want to teach a friend or family member to swim. You want to learn a new stroke (in my case converting from breaststroke to crawl. The obvious answer is to take lessons. But they require a commitment to once a week for ten weeks and you don't have that time.

Answers
Here are some amateur answers. Watch the swimming lessons, whether they are teaching children or adults. Even if you can't understand the language, you can see the demonstration of the arm stroke.

Talk To Teachers
I saw a teacher who was teaching small children every day for a week. The second or third day I started smiling and saying good morning to the teacher and waving goodbye.

Get in conversation with the teacher, if they are not in a hurry to go to the next lesson. Ask how long they have been teaching, how often they teach, whether they like the work and whether they have another job, if the pupils are keen, if there are any swimming competitions.

Maybe after the lessons you can offer something in conversation, help with their pronunciation or grammar. You might ask for advice on buying a swimsuit or goggles.

In return they might freely offer you some advice on swimming. After you've explained you don't have the time for a series of lessons, or that your budget is slightly smaller, they might recommend a video, or an alternative class at a nearby public pool, or offer a one-off private lesson for one or a one off for your family.

Your teacher might offer classes at another venue on a more convenient day, or their day off from regular classes.

Breast Stroke
Three things to look for:
Arm movement.
Leg movement.
Body position.

First movement.
Standing, with your hands toegether against your chestyou lean forward. I was taught to move hands forward from chest through the water horizontally, thumbs alongside.

A new swimmer asked me, "Should you move your hand palms together, like a fish?"

I tried that and it involves rotating your hands further for the next step.

Pull back with your hands, not scooping but like a paddle. Your arms should be fully stretched.

I was recently taught a new variation. Instead of pulling your arms sideways, you pull downwards. This is quite different. By driving your hands downwards, you pull your head upwards. This would be handy if you were facing large waves and needed to keep your head and mouth high, or you wanted to be seen by rescuers.

Otherwise, no, not for me, not longterm, because it is very tiring. However, if you want to tire yourself out and get more 'exercise' in a shorter time, go for it.

It's worthwhile trying this, just to get an idea how swimming works, pulling water.

Notice that the movement does three things. It pulls you through the water. It starts momentum so you continue moving forwards for a short while after you have stopped pulling, like a ball rolling down a slope. Thirdly, you create a ripple or current, which may help carry you along.

If you are practising for competitions, training others, you need to look on line and find out what is recommended to suit yourself and your situation.

I had a one-off group lesson free as part of gym membership. (The Gym later stopped the free lessons!)

Corkscrewing
The teacher observed me doing the breastroke and said I was corkscrewing. She meant rotating, turning my body, not going in a straight line.

I immediately realised why. First, my body is not exactly symmetrical. Firstly, our bodies are usually bigger one side than the other. You might find that when you go to buy shoes, you have one larger foot. When you take photos, you often see that your profile is better on one side, partly because the side with the larger eye is more attractive.

Earlier Injuries
I have a slightly lop-sdied body because in a traffic accident. I was knocked down by a car when on holiday in Corsica, exiting from a broken down coach on a hillside. A car came over the brow of the hill and knocked me down. I was unsconscious and broke my collar bone.

Many people are slightly lop-sided after major or minor inuries. You may have bones set wrongly. Or you may walk lop-sided as your body tries to protect the damaged side, or remembers the way you had to walk whilst injured. This may affect your swimming posture.

Crawl
Four things to look for:
Arm movement.
Leg movement.
Body turning.
Breathing.
(Off to swim. More later.)
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.