How to Correct Swimming Mistakes
Melissa Kanes Explains How to Correct Swimming Mistakes
Many experienced swimmers still make mistakes in their techniques. This could be a result of poor coaching or learning the wrong techniques, or uncorrected flaws in their strokes. These mistakes don’t necessarily spell doom for swimmers in major events such as triathlons or similar competitions, but their times can be shortened by correcting some of these common mistakes that even the most experienced swimmers sometimes struggle with.
Breathing habits are one of the most common techniques swimmers struggle with. Developing advantageous breathing habits is all about developing a rhythm with your body and your stroke. All swimmers have to practice breathing after every three strokes. Swimmers also have to remember to exhale into the water to rid their bodies of carbon dioxide and avoid running out of breath constantly.
Swimmers have to remember to stay as relaxed as possible when they’re in the water. Holding one’s body tense while swimming may seem like a natural reaction that will help them swim faster, but in reality it’s better to relax the body and focus the mind on moving forward in an efficient, mechanical manner. Tensing causes unnecessary fatigue and causes the body to tire out faster.
The third swimming technique that many swimmers struggle with is the proper crawl stroke. Swimmers’ arms should always be moving forward and landing in the water directly in front of their heads. The stroke should finish next to their thighs and start in front of their shoulders. The swimmer’s fingers should always point to the bottom of the pool.
Melissa Kanes has perfected her stroke and her swimming technique since she was five years old. She swam throughout her high school years and qualified for state championship competitions twice. She also coached swim teams throughout her career while she was an undergraduate and graduate student. Melissa Kanes loves sharing her passions for the water and is basically a fish in the water.
