Balance

[IngeA]

Hallo,

at first an Introduction, because I'm new here:

I'm from Germany (so I'm sorry, my English is not very well).

Two years ago I started with swimming. Not for races, not really for fitness, but for relaxation with movement. First I did breaststroke, as I learned as a child, but I often had problems with my shoulder, so I visited a freestyle course for beginners. This was better and a few weeks later I started with the TI exercises with the book.
I had never problems to find my balance, but at first I had difficulties with the rhythm. I don't know how my freestyle looks like, I can't see myself, but it feels good and easy and so it's good for me.
Or better: It felt.
In January I got the diagnosis Epilepsy. Not dramatic, there is no big risk, that I will have another fit again, but the risk still is greater than for other people.
I paused for nearly five months with swimming, but that won't do. So now I am swimming again, but I always wear a neoprene suit because of the buoyancy (in a fit you breath out and so you sink without supplement buoyancy).
And that changed the balance. Somehow now I can't stretch out completely. I have to lift the head a bit, otherwise my head gets too deep to breath. It doesn't really feel "bad", the swimming is relaxed, but it feels queer. Is there any trick or is this normal and OK?

Second question:
My daughter is 7 years old. And as all children in Germany she started with breaststroke. But she doesn't get along with it. She has no fear of water, she is diving, deep and also in length, she has a perfect balance, but she never makes breaststroke movements. Sometimes she "crawls" like a dog, but now more often she begins to swim in freestyle. As long as she can hold breath.
TI is meant for adults.
How can I teach a child correct freestyle with breathing? Is there any good book, which can help me?

Inge

[Caro]

Is your head sinking because your legs are too bouyant? There are many different swimming wetsuits available now, there are even some specifically for breaststoke which allow the legs and bottom to sink more. Look for wetsuits with thinner neoprene in the areas that you want to sink more. Obviously the thicker the neoprene the more bouyant you will be, the thinnest wetsuit I have is a cheap ORCA and is only 2 and 3mm, it is my favorite.

As for your daughter some people are naturally better at front/backcrawl and some better at breaststroke. Lots of kids really struggle with breaststroke. Surely they teach the other strokes as well?

[IngeA]

"Is your head sinking because your legs are too bouyant?"

Yes, that's the problem. And I'm totally surprised, because it's only a 2mm Shorty (for swimming).
But I feel like a dubbling duck.
I think you are right. I will give it a chance for another two weeks with balance drills. If it doesn't work then, I will look for another wetsuit.

For my daughter: We are at the end of nowhere in the "topic" swimming. Children can do courses to learn swim, but they are for beginners only. And beginners are taught breaststroke. In the swimming club they teach the other strokes, but it's not easy to get in the club, because so many like to.
But perhaps I will just wait. She will not drown if she gets in deep water. She dives (or crawls), comes up to get air and dives again. But not in a regular rhythm.

Inge

[CoachBobM]

Originally Posted by IngeA

Second question:
My daughter is 7 years old. And as all children in Germany she started with breaststroke. But she doesn't get along with it. She has no fear of water, she is diving, deep and also in length, she has a perfect balance, but she never makes breaststroke movements. Sometimes she "crawls" like a dog, but now more often she begins to swim in freestyle. As long as she can hold breath.
TI is meant for adults.
How can I teach a child correct freestyle with breathing? Is there any good book, which can help me?

The Total Immersion program works with children as well as adults. I've used it successfully to teach children as young as 7. The drills in the book Extraordinary Swimming for Every Body:

http://www.totalimmersion.net/store/...l#.VW3xKGdFB9A

should work with a 7-year-old.

There is also a DVD called First Strokes:

http://www.totalimmersion.net/store/...l#.VW3uIGdFB9A

that features nothing but kids swimming and that gives some simple focal points for stroke improvement in all four of the competitive strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly), but I don't know whether there's a version of it that is compatible with German DVD players.


Bob

[IngeA]

Thank you Bob, I will try it.
Th book I already have, since two days :o) and I will by the DVD. "Freestyle made easy" runs at my computer.

[IngeA]

Now I know my problem!
At least I think so.
I never had problems with my balance. I did the balance drills, but I never really needed them to find my balance.
I never learned to find my balance because I was in balance. That changed now. After several balance drills it's getting much better.

Inge