Hi Sigma Swim and Stroke Schoolers!
We've come leaps and bounds since starting this series 7 weeks ago. From just getting in, to bobbing, to last week's learning beginner dives, your swimmers have had the opportunity to really improve their skills and we hope to continue to facilitate this! Without further ado, let's continue into this week's topic, yet another step in the direction to proficiency. Every beginner has wanted to fire off the wall like a cannon or zoom through the water like a shark. Well, that's what in-water starts are for. Learning proper wall technique and starts are extremely important to initiating the streamline sequence which will always be the fastest point of our swimming. The more we can emulate this fast initiation and tight streamline, the more our speed and comfort will continue to improve.
Found the above helpful? Like, comment, subscribe, share with a friend or family member!
The first half of the video does a great job demonstrating the technique for a front start (eventually a free, butterfly, or breaststroke push-off), while the second half documents how to start on our backs. For swimmers that continue into team swimming, this will be the way they push off the wall almost every time! Similar to dives, that tight streamline during in-water starts is what allows the swimmer to glide effortlessly off the wall. We've seen freestyle in a previous week, and now we have another element to add when exploding off the wall with a strong kick! The goal is always to avoid aimless walls and really take advantage of our opportunity to push off of something solid. More often than not, swimmers get excited and just want
Fact of the week: The average beginner pushes off the wall several times over the course of each practice. However, these starts are not always purposeful. Over previous weeks, we haven't discussed what they're really supposed to look like outside of a tight streamline. If the swimmers are overly eager to get off the wall, it's perfectly okay to implement games like "Red Light, Green Light" and/or "Simon Says", just as the video mentions. Ensure they approach the right position on the wall, whether on their stomach or back, and then let them drive their legs into that tight, streamlined position. After that, they've got it! Then they can get on their way to learning new skills, strokes, and tips that will propel them (no pun intended) to new heights.
How does my child move up? Come to every swim class, bring your progress report, earn those stickers, and ask your child's instructor or location's deck manager if you have questions.
Push off into new skills, great swimming, and more fun! Glad your swimmer is learning to swim with us!
The Sigma Team