So you’ve been for some Total Immersion swimming lessons or attended one of our workshops and you want to practice. But then you get back to your public pool and it’s tricky to find space to do the drills and six stroke practices. So here are some tips and strategies to help practice your swimming in a public pool.
First thing to consider is trying out a different lane where swimmers are moving more slowly. When I was learning TI I would do some of my drills in the breaststroke lane and then switch back to the faster lane when I was ready to swim full stroke.
It’s worth looking for some different pools. It’s not always possible with locations, time tables and membership options but it’s worth thinking about. Hotel pools are often too small for real lane swimming but make ideal places to practice. And sometimes warmer or shallow all the way along.
It’s also worth considering a different time when it’s quieter and less busy or when the pool is set up without lane ropes out.
If the pool allows, you could do some of your drills and swimming with swim fins or flippers on. This would give you some propulsion and speed so you’re less likely to get in the way of other swimmers. It also gives you a bit more mental space to think about your stroke rather than worrying about propulsion.
I wouldn’t recommend getting addicted to swim fins because they’re not so great for your stroke, can lead to bad technique and can also lead to cramp. But as a tool for short sections they’re definitely worth trying.
If the pool allows try a front crawl swimming snorkel. This is great for swimming further without breathing, can teach you good head position and gives you enough time to think about your stroke without running out of air. If you haven’t yet mastered breathing in front crawl then this is a great way to be able to swim further without having to take a breath.
Do your superman to skate and 6 strokes and then swim a few strokes of breast stroke before starting another round of 6 strokes
Roll to air: Learn how to roll for air. This is where you do your 6 strokes and then roll on to your back for air, take a moment, maybe do a bit of backstroke and then roll down again for another 6 strokes. The roll to air drill is also really good for learning posture, balance, alignment and breathing too.
You could do drills in the shallow part of the pool where you can stand up and then swim breast stroke or front crawl in and out of the deep end before beginning your drills again.
If you have any other tips or questions about practising then get in touch.