The Swim Teach Weekly 1–2–3 One teaching goal. Two ways to communicate it. Three phrases to try. Hi there, Mark here. Hope all is well with you. Welcome to this week’s Swim Better Weekly - one small change to make swimming easier. The problem Putting your face underwater can feel like too big a leap. You may tense up, hold your breath or pull away as soon as the water reaches your nose and eyes. When that happens, even a simple exercise can feel overwhelming. Why it happens Going underwater...
about 19 hours ago • 1 min read
The Swim Teach Weekly 1–2–3 One teaching goal. Two ways to communicate it. Three phrases to try. Hi there, Mark here. Hope all is well with you. Welcome to this week’s Swim Better Weekly - one small change to make swimming easier. The problem Do your legs sink when you swim front crawl, leaving you feeling as though you’re dragging them through the water? This creates extra resistance, making every length feel harder and more tiring than it needs to be. Why it happens Your body position is...
8 days ago • 1 min read
The Swim Teach Weekly 1–2–3 One teaching goal. Two ways to communicate it. Three phrases to try. Hi there, Mark here. Hope all is well with you. Welcome to this week’s Swim Better Weekly - one small change to make swimming easier. Do you feel out of breath after swimming just one length - even when you are trying to take it easy? This is very common when you are learning to swim. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you are unfit or incapable of swimming further. The problem may be the way you...
15 days ago • 2 min read
The Swim Teach Weekly 1–2–3 One teaching goal. Two ways to communicate it. Three phrases to try. Welcome to this week’s edition of The Swim Teach Weekly 1–2–3. 1 LEARNING GOAL Turn to the side to breathe without lifting the head. Front crawl breathing can quickly disrupt an otherwise reasonable stroke. Swimmers often know they need to turn their head, but when the breath feels rushed, they lift forwards instead — dropping the legs, losing balance and making the next breath even harder....
19 days ago • 1 min read
Swim Better Weekly - One small change to make swimming easier. Hi there, Mark here. Hope all is well with you. Welcome to this week’s Swim Better Weekly - one small change to make swimming easier. The problem The pool feels threatening before you’ve even begun practising. You may see other swimmers moving confidently through the water and feel as though you should be doing the same. That can make the first goal feel enormous: “I need to swim.” Why it happens Fear tends to grow when you treat...
22 days ago • 1 min read
Hi, Mark here. Hope all is well. You know that frustrating moment in a swimming lesson. You explain the skill.You demonstrate it.You simplify it. …and the swimmer still looks confused. It is easy to assume that the exercise is not working - or that the swimmer simply cannot do it yet. But sometimes, the problem is not the skill. It is the words. One swimmer may respond to a clear, direct instruction. Another may need an image they can picture, a rhythm they can follow or a physical sensation...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Have you ever wondered why one person can lie back and float almost effortlessly, while someone else sinks the moment they stop moving? Hi, Mark here. Hope all is well. For beginners, this can be incredibly frustrating. It is easy to assume that you are doing something wrong - or that you simply “can’t float”. But floating isn’t a test of swimming ability. Body composition, lung capacity and the way we position ourselves in the water all affect buoyancy. Some people naturally float higher...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
What if your breathing timing was the one thing holding back your whole stroke? Hi, Mark here. I hope all is well with you. This week we are talking front crawl breathing - and more specifically, the timing of your breath. If you’ve ever felt your breathing “throws you off” in front crawl, you’re not alone. It’s one of the hardest parts to coordinate - but once you get the timing right, everything flows more smoothly. My full guide is right here. What timing means It’s not just when you...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
What’s the biggest challenge you face when teaching an adult to swim - fear, technique, or simply unlearning old habits? Hey, Mark here, I hope you’re doing well. This week, I'm tackling that sometimes tricky task of teaching adults how to swim, inspired by an article I wrote a while back. Why adapting your style matters Adults come to the pool with all kinds of backgrounds: varying fitness, flexibility, and confidence levels. The key is to meet them where they are, not push them into a...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read