The Difference Between Proper and Improper Technique

   When it comes to swimming, technique is everything.  The difference between proper technique and improper technique could be what gets you the coveted blue ribbon or the name at the bottom of the page.  With proper technique, you can go farther faster.  With improper technique you can end up in the doctor's office sooner with an injury.

   In the breaststroke, it is important to keep your body tight.  You should not fling your legs out and/or pull your arms way out. After each stroke you should be in a tight streamline.  When you stroke, if your technique is correct, your arms will pull toward the body in a heart shape not going much further than shoulder width.  While pulling, you should bring your legs up until you are almost in a ball.  You should keep your head down so it is facing the water.  When your thumbs get under your chin, you push your arms back out to streamline as fast as possible with your pointer finger just over the surface of the water.  At the same time you should turn your feet out and kick back.  Your feet should not be much further than shoulder width throughout the kick.  When you get back to the streamline position, your body should be no more than three inches under the water surface.  Then the cycle begins again.

   When you have improper technique your arms  will tend to pull in a circular motion going all the way down to the belly.  When this happens your arms are going too wide and too far down.  This causes you to push against the forward motion and will make you slow down.  Then you will have to work harder to get your arms pulled back up to a streamline position.  This also causes you to work harder to get up for a breath.  With improper technique you also tend to have a wide kick and, in some cases, without your feet pointed out.  This will also make you slow and can cause knee injuries.  At the end of this cycle, most swimmers end up being six to eight inches under the water surface.  This causes the swimmer to have to stroke up instead of out or they will have to glide until they get back to the surface.

    While to some one who hasn't had experience in competitive swimming  the proper and improper stroke technique might look similar, the person with good technique will usually win, use less energy, and won't get injured easily!  This is why it is important to have proper technique.

What Swimming Means To Me

      Swimming has become a way of life for me. It gets me up at 4:45 in the morning
and keeps me energized throughout the day, knowing that I have the chance to swim with
friends at the end of a long school day. It keeps me happy and healthy.

     When I was younger I was allowed to choose one sport to play. The sport I chose
was the only sport I would participate in for the year. One day, I decided to try swimming
for my sport for the year. I had just learned how to swim but I loved the water and
thought swimming would be a lot of fun. None of my friends swam competitively, so I
had no idea what to expect when I got to the pool.


    When I got to the pool the first day, I started having second thoughts. Looking
out at the huge, 25-yard pool and seeing all of the swimmers sprinting from one side to the
other then stopping at the end huffing for air was intimidating. Then I saw this weird
Chinese guy go up to them and yell “Swim Fast!” I was ready to leave. I had changed my
mind. Unfortunately, mom told me I had to swim for at least two weeks before I could
quit, so I got in the pool and started swimming.

    It did not take me long to realize that if the coach did not yell, you could not hear
him. When I figured this out, I was not as scared of him and it was easier for me to swim.
I watched and listened to instructions and quickly learned what all the swimming lingo
meant and how to do the different strokes. With the strokes down, I entered my first
swim meet.

    When I got to my first meet, I knew I was prepared for it, but I was still really
nervous. I looked around and saw all of the other teams and coaches and I knew they had
done this several times. I was really nervous. When I stepped onto the block, however,
everything changed. I no longer thought about the person in the lane next to me. I only
thought about the swim I was about to swim and what I wanted to accomplish during this
swim.

    When I heard the beep I dove in. My heart was racing, my legs kicking, my arms
stroking all with more strength than I thought I could muster. As I was swimming I
thought through each individual stroke, making them as long and efficient as possible. I
focused on my flip turns and making them sharp and fast. As I pushed off the last wall, I
kicked and pulled like a shark was chasing after me. I touched the wall and looked up
with a smile on my face. I had just swam my first swim as a my team. I knew then
that this would be something I would be doing for a while.

    Throughout the years on the team, I have been swimming my heart out. At times
it has been hard and I wanted to quit, but at those times, I would think back to that first
swim meet and what it felt like to swim for fun and not just for exercise and to make
coach happy. When I remember this it makes swimming more enjoyable.

    My experience on the team has helped me learn to never
decide something is too hard before I even try it out. It has shown me that hard work and

perseverance will eventually pay off. Swimming has given me some of my best memories

and my closest friends. My love for swimming has also helped me to decide that one day,
I want to be a swim coach. I want to help others love and excel in the sport of swimming.