Hi guys I never learned to swim as a child, and I’ve signed up for adult swim lessons soon. Something I think will help me prepare for the lessons is I don’t know the mechanics/physics behind the motion. So I’m asking
1.) how do people float in water and why is it crucial to swimming?
2.) how do people actually move from point a to b in water while swimming?
EDIT: thanks so much to all who have responded with answers, tips, advice, and encouragement! Trying to read through all your helpful answers ☺️
In: 715
It’s a lot easier than people think.
You should be able to stay afloat in calm water, just by allowing your body to relax and let it come up in the water.
Nobody taught me how to swim. The rule at the local pool was, that if you wanted to get into the deep end, you had to swim the length of the short and long end.
I failed twice, then on the third try I got it.
There are several ways to swim.
The two I use both involve kicking your feet, but it’s not kicking perse, it’s more like moving your feet forwards and back to allow your body to move in the water.
Then your hands assist.
Freestyle is.. picture a windmill. Now your hands and arms are windmills. Each time an arm comes down, your hand scoops down water and makes you move forward.
I don’t know what this one is called, sorry.
When I dive underwater, your feet can still help you move, but windmilling arms won’t get you anywhere.
Underwater I put my hands together as if praying. Close to my body and push out, when my hands get as far as they can, I separate both of them and spread my arms out so they go directly to both sides of my body. Then you bring them back in to ‘pray’ again. This will allow you to move.
Basically you’re moving water, to move yourself.
Again, nobody taught me.
Latest Answers