GoSwim TV has some excellent training tip videos that are definitely worth watching. I’m encouraging my daughter to watch and perhaps absorb a little. I realize that this is no substitute for a good swim coach but these are times where we have to be resourceful. We’re in that transition phase between swim clubs and unfortunately this came in the middle of the swim season. At this point, any little tip / tidbit that can help her to improve her swimming will go a long way.
These are a couple of the really useful (and short!) tip videos that I liked best:
Strapless sculling sounds intriguing and I think I’ll try it as well when I’m in the pool.
Another great video tip is using a kickboard during kick sets:
What I found interesting here is that the board is kept slightly BELOW the surface of the water. I suspect that too many kids are using boards that are too large for their body size which pushes the swimmer up into a incorrect body alignment position. Interestingly, coaches don’t seem to talk about the details on kickboards and kicking. It’s more of a “here — buy this and jump in and kick” sort of thing. Kicking is a very important part of the swim stroke and done poorly can easily cost the swimmer time and placing.
We may have Anna try her smaller board again since it would be easier to work with. I’ll post once we’ve had time to evaluate.
The last video I’d like to post here has a great tip for freestyle swimming – high hips. If the body is properly aligned in the water, there is less resistance / less drag when swimming.
All tips worth watching!
