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.
When your usual explanation isn’t working…
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Hi, Mark here. Hope all is well. You know that frustrating moment in a swimming lesson. You explain the skill. …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 they can focus on. A nervous swimmer may need completely different language again. After more than 30 years of teaching swimming, I have learned that progress does not always come from changing the exercise. Often, it comes from changing the explanation. That is why I created my newest resource: The Swimming Teacher’s Phrase Book Inside you will find hundreds of practical, poolside-ready phrases covering:
For each teaching moment, you can choose from direct instructions, gentle reassurance, imaginative cues, feel-based prompts and short rhythms. So, instead of repeating the same words again and again, you will always have another way to explain the skill. Say it differently. Help it click.
The complete digital edition is available as an instant PDF download for £19.99 GBP (converted to your local currency when you click through). Not sure whether it is for you? Read the free preview and see exactly how it works. Happy teaching, Mark |
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.
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 You try to float, but your body feels as though it immediately starts to sink. You may tense your muscles, move your arms and legs or fight to keep your face above the water. The harder you work, the less comfortable and balanced you feel. Why it happens...
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 Your arms and legs seem to be working constantly during breaststroke, but you don’t travel very far. You may feel as though you’re fighting the water, getting tired quickly and putting in far more effort than the stroke should require. Why it happens...
Hi there, Mark here. Hope all is well with you. You know the situation. A swimmer’s breaststroke timing just won’t come together. Their front crawl breathing is throwing the whole stroke off. Their backstroke position keeps falling apart. Or you need another way to break down butterfly without making it more complicated. Sometimes you need a better progression. Sometimes you need a different drill. And sometimes you simply need another way to explain it. That’s exactly why I’ve put together...