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As a beginning swimmer, the water can seem like a difficult substance to work with. However, with more time spent in the pool and a few easy, key techniques, you'll be zipping through it in no time. With this article I'll explain a few exercises and techniques for swimming "freestyle" to help get you going.
There are a couple of tools that help immensely in swimming. The most important is a good pair of goggles. You can find these at any sporting goods store. When choosing the right pair, try and determine which shape most closely matches that of your eye socket, and whether you would find rubber, foam, or plastic to be most comfortable. The shape and substance of the edge of the goggles should provide a firm seal around your eye, preventing water from entering and allowing you a clear view underwater. I like a hard-nosed goggle made by Speedo. My other equipment recommendation is a swim cap for those with longer hair or dry scalps. This will keep your hair from floating into your face, as well as protecting it from chlorine damage. These are also available at sporting goods stores, and are usually very inexpensive.
A common tough spot for many people when first learning to swim is a feeling of discomfort with being immersed. This is possibly the biggest obstacle in swimming, as your natural feeling of being upright and dry is completely opposed. Still, you can work through this with relative ease just by getting under the water. One trick to try: While standing by the wall (in the shallow end of your lane), put your feet on the wall behind you, toes pointing downward. Starting in a crouched position with your torso parallel to the floor and underwater, use your legs to push off and propel yourself through the water straight down your lane. Coast as far as you can, arms squeezing your ears and hands joining straight above your head, body in a straight line (you can practice this posture on dry land first, to help you get the hang of it). You'll look like a human torpedo (and maybe feel like one, too!) This will help you acclimate to the sensation of water rushing over your skin after practicing this exercise a few times.
This next exercise is helpful not only for getting your head in the water, but for kicking, as well. Kicking is an essential component of swimming, as your legs are your propellers and the strongest part of your body involved in moving you through the water. While holding on to the wall (most pools have a "lip" at the edge that provides a nice handhold just even with the water), let the water's buoyancy lift your feet. This is initially an odd sensation, but remember that you have a grip on the wall and you're securely in place. As you test your buoyancy, begin kicking, and hold on to the wall while kicking behind yourself, parallel to the pool's floor. Try and really boil the water with your feet, and feel your own control. It's a good idea not to let your feet rise too far above the surface of the water, as any "airtime" is energy that could have been expended under the water, where the real action takes place. As you grow more comfortable with kicking, try placing your face in the water as you kick, and when you need to breathe, lift your head to the side (whichever side is easiest for you) just enough to take a breath and then re-immerse your face, exhaling underwater. Keep practicing - it gets easier! You can try this same exercise with a kickboard, which will buoy your arms as they hold it in front of you. How much of your upper body you want to have buoyant is up to you - for breathing exercises, hold it out just with your hands, keeping your arms relatively straight. For simple kicking, you can bring the kickboard in a bit, holding the sides or top and keeping your head out of the water.
The best place to first practice your arm strokes is actually on dry land. As you stand erect, envision a keyhole. Yes, a keyhole - the old fashioned kind. It's round on top, but the circle doesn't completely finish because a straight line stops it and leads downward from the middle. This is a pattern for your arms to follow. Another way to think of it is like a big "S", backwards for your right hand and normal for your left. Take your right arm and hold it straight up in the air. It is probably above your shoulder. The place where your hand will enter the water is about five inches to the right of where it is now, and you can get the right positioning by relaxing your shoulder and elbow just a little bit. This should create a natural, comfortable curve for your arm. The first part of your arm to enter the water will be your fingertips, and you'll try and "catch" the water using your palm. Pretend that the water's resistance is like a ball resting on your slightly curved palm as you follow the stroke through the water, and that you're pushing it through. The motion of your arm should follow the pattern mentioned earlier, with the initial curve of the keyhole shaping a soft curve away from you at your shoulder and coming back in until your hand is even with your waist (and about three inches away). From there, bring your hand (which is perpendicular to the floor) close to your hip and finish the with a straight-back or slightly curved motion in the opposite direction, finishing with a taut arm. "Recovering" your stroke occurs when your arm is in the air as it returns to the entry position. Your elbow will be the highest part of your arm, not dragging, with your shoulder propelling your relaxed forearm back to the starting point. Envision a birds wing, slightly arched and exceptionally aerodynamic.
One exercise you can do to work on your stroke involves a pull-buoy, or a pair of Styrofoam cylinders that easily slide between your knees and thighs with one on either side. There is are cords between them that can be adjusted for the size and shape of your legs. These will "buoy" your legs, which hold them in place and do not kick, allowing you to remain horizontal in the water while using only your arms for moving your body. These are often provided by pools, and if you'd like a pair of your own, they're available at many quality sporting goods stores, and are inexpensive. They're a demanding teacher, as you'll know when your stroke is effective because you'll feel yourself moving, and only when you've got the motion right. You'll feel the point where you are maximizing your effort, because the stroke will start to feel natural. Remember that the shallower water is where you want to do most of your work, because you're not moving your body as efficiently if your hand is two feet below you in the deeper, motionless water. Keep your hands as close to your body as will allow for a clean, effective stroke.
When practicing with a kickboard, you can take a stroke underwater with one hand on the kickboard, alternating sides as you will normally do while swimming. This can also help you get the feel of the stroke, as well as how it accompanies the kicking motion. You can even practice this exercise at the side of the pool, holding onto the wall.
Breathe as often as you need to, at first. As mentioned earlier, turn your head to the side just enough so that your mouth is out of the water. Take a breath, and immerse your face again. The breath will be taken while your arm is out of the water (on the side you've chosen for breathing), returning to the entry point of the stroke, and by the time you begin the next stroke, your face should be back in the water. After practicing for a while, your sense of needing to breathe every stroke cycle (pair of strokes) or every other will subside and you can begin extending your breathing pattern, exhaling for longer periods of time under water so that you can take a few strokes, and then breathe. Take your time. It will grow easier and easier with practice.
Other swimmers may have suggestions, and you'll run into them as you frequent the pool. Also, coaches and lifeguards have swimming experience and could provide suggestions (as long as you wait until they're off the job to ask!) You might also check your local library and what helpful books they carry on the subject of swimming. Take your time, and remember to relax in the water. You'll find that every motion becomes easier when you feel comfortable and relaxed. Happy swimming!
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