Essential tips for becoming a better swimmer

How to be a good swimmer

In the practice of swimming, the first step in a pool can be risky. A naive swimmer is not aware of the depth and intensity of water available in the pool, so he/she steps in freely and is at risk of drowning if he/she is not supervised or is not properly administered. During the initial swimming sessions, the individual needs to be administered not only for the practice, but also for the costumes and equipment. ” The challenge for the uncoached swimmer is that there are so many nuances of the freestyle swim stroke to copy and so many tips for technique improvement to choose from that finding the most integral aspects can seem daunting” (McLarty).
Practice makes an individual a good swimmer. A beginner should start from shallow waters. After the individual has developed perfection in shallow swimming, gradually, the depth of water should be increased. The importance of different techniques of swimming in making the experience of swimming rich and fulfilling cannot be overemphasized. To be a good swimmer, it is very important to actually enjoy it. Certain exercises help make the experience very enjoyable. One such exercise is floating on the surface of water. this exercise requires feeling air in the stomach and lying straight on the surface of water. It exercise makes the swimmer feel like flying in the air. One does not need to plunge into the depth of water in order to do this exercise. Once an individual’s association with water and swimming has been established with the help of such exercises, next step is to learn deep diving. This is a very critical step in the process of learning swimming and one needs close administration and supervision in order to deter any accidents.
Before starting the swimming sessions, it is important to realize that the swimming experience of a pool is different from the swimming experience of any other water reservoir e. g. river and ocean etc. Since the volume of a swimming pool is limited, there is less chance of development of large water waves that are usually encountered while swimming in a river or an ocean. This imparts a need for pool swimmers attempting to dive in a river or an ocean to take extra precautions measures which include but not limited to wearing safety jackets, goggles, clippers, and ideally oxygen cylinder.
Before diving in the water, one of the precautionary measures is to fill air in the stomach because the air filled stomach prevents a swimmer from drowning and helps the swimmer keep close to the surface. In order to go down and touch the base of a swimming pool, an individual needs do exhale all the air before diving into the water. The real challenge for a swimmer is to reach the surface of water in such a condition. In such circumstances, one should move the legs in a cyclic motion and wave the water away from right above the head with the help of both arms. Imagining the upward motion of a frog in the water helps in such a case. Still, it may take several sessions of intense exercise and practice to master the art of reaching the surface of water from the base of a reservoir. It is very important to maintain emotional balance in swimming.
In order to move forward in the water, it is important to keep the fingers of joined together and prevent any gaps between them through which water could pass. The swimmer should try to keep the body as straight and horizontal as possible while swimming. The more inclined the body is, the more difficult it becomes to swim forth. In their attempt to dive in like professional divers, many novice swimmers tend to jump into the water from a ramp or side of a pool, and end up hitting their chest against the water surface. This can prove fatal because the water surface tension makes the swimmer feel like his/her chest has hit against a rock-wall. To dive in safely, one should either dive in vertical position straight or inverted.
Personal hygiene is very important to remain fit and healthy. Even if the water of a pool appears to be clean and is regularly treated with chlorine, a swimmer should take precautionary measures because many people actually pee in the water. A swimmer should try to avoid drinking or gulping the pool water. Certain tools like nose clippers and goggles can reduce the risk of intake of pool water during swimming. In addition to that, one must take a bath after swimming.

Works Cited:
McLarty, Sara. ” Seven Essential Tips For Becoming A Better Swimmer.” 19 July 2013.
Web. 16 May 2014. .