I've been teaching swimming for over 30 years and I built Swim Teach so that I can share all my knowledge, wisdom and experience from the thousands of swimming lessons I have had the pleasure of teaching. Take a look back through my previous newsletters and see what you missed.
Teaching Adults: small tweaks, big breakthroughs
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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 mattersAdults 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 “one-size-fits-all” program. Here are a few tips I lean on when teaching adults:
If you’d like a deeper dive, you can check out the full article “Teaching Adults to Swim” here. 📚 Spotlight: My Book — Teaching Adults How To SwimOver the years, I’ve gathered many of these insights (and many more) into my book, Teaching Adults How To Swim. In it you’ll find: 📘 Learn how to identify and address common adult barriers like:
🧠 Understand Their Struggles — and Help Them Overcome:
If it sounds like something that could support your work (or a colleague’s), grab your copy here:
I’d love to hear your success stories teaching adults. Let me know. In the meantime, happy teaching. Warm regards, PS - have you missed any of my previous newsletters? Click here for a list of them all. PPS - did someone forward this to you and you're looking to subscribe? Subscribe here. |
Hi! I'm Mark, creator of Swim Teach
I've been teaching swimming for over 30 years and I built Swim Teach so that I can share all my knowledge, wisdom and experience from the thousands of swimming lessons I have had the pleasure of teaching. Take a look back through my previous newsletters and see what you missed.
Many swimmers pull too hard and still don’t move far. Here’s why — and a simple drill that fixes it. Hi, Mark here. Hope your week’s been a good one! Let’s talk breaststroke arms. As swimming teachers, we know it’s the leg kick that delivers the real power. But many swimmers still rely too much on their arms to pull themselves through the water, and that’s where things go wrong. Quick Breakdown of the Arm Pull Technique The breaststroke arm movement can be split into three simple phases:...
The surprising power of play in the pool (and how to use it) Hi, Mark here - hope you've had a great week! This week we are talking about the power of games and play when it comes to learning and teaching swimming, plus one of the most important foundation skills for beginners - learning how to submerge. Using games and play to teach swimming isn’t just fun - it’s one of the most effective ways to build confidence, engagement, and water skills. For parents, playful games open a child’s mind...
Struggling to move efficiently through the water despite vigorous kicking? You're not alone. Many swimmers find that their efforts don't translate into speed or distance. The key lies in refining your technique. Hi, Mark here. I hope you've had a great week. This week, we unpack the secrets to a powerful front crawl leg kick. Stay tuned to the end of this week's newsletter for a free Front Crawl Cheatsheet for you to download, save and print out. You'll find the link right at the end of this...