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.
The 3 Skills That Matter More Than Strokes
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Your weekly insight, one mini story, one practical step to try today and one question to consider - all in a five minute read. Hey, Mark here. I hope you've had a good week. Most beginners try to learn a stroke too early. They think the answer is breaststroke or front crawl. Usually, the answer is something simpler: get comfortable, learn to breathe, and learn to glide. One insightSwimming gets easier when you stop trying to “swim” straight away. The real foundations are much less glamorous: putting your face in the water without panicking, breathing out calmly, floating, and pushing off in a long shape. Once those basics click, strokes stop feeling chaotic and start feeling logical. Check out the basic steps right here. One mini storyI’ve seen plenty of beginners assume they’re “bad at swimming” when really they’re just skipping steps. They try front crawl before they can exhale underwater. Or they try breaststroke before they can glide. That’s a bit like trying to run before you can stand comfortably. One practical stepIn your next swim, forget the full stroke for five minutes. Just practise these three things:
Those three skills do more for beginners than most people realise. For more practical tips, click here. One questionWhich of those basics feels least comfortable to you right now: breathing, floating, or gliding?
Until next time - hang in there and keep swimming! Mark ps - forward this onto anyone you know that needs some swimming help. |
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.
Hi, Mark here. I hope you’ve had a great week. If your legs are working hard but you still feel like you’re going nowhere, your front crawl kick probably needs refining - not more effort. A good kick should help you stay balanced, streamlined and relaxed in the water. It should support the rest of your stroke, not leave you exhausted after one length. This week’s guide breaks down how to kick front crawl with more control, better body position and less wasted energy. 👉 Read the full front...
Are you looking to enhance your teaching toolkit and make a bigger splash in your lessons? Hi, Mark here. Hope all is well with you. Everyone needs tools that make their job easier and raise the quality of their work, and we swimming teachers are no exception. I’ve gathered my best teaching tools into one easy-to-use page just for you. It’s packed with practical, printable swimming teacher resources to help you teach more confidently, save prep time, and deliver high-quality lessons your...
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:...