Front crawl help please

[actiongirl1978]

Hi all,

I've just started adult swimming lessons to ideally take me from swimming like a labrador with my nose out of the water, to sleek fast lane swimmer.

With the help of my teacher I have nailed breast stroke as it's meant to be done, plus I can just about do the breathing without a nose plug.

But when I swim crawl, I find I'm running out of breath after one or two strokes. As if the stroke is more phyically draining of oxygen (probably is as its harder) and after about half a length I have to pop up and take an absolutely massive proper breath.

Does anyone better at swimming have any tips please? I really want to nail it before my next swimming lesson. Ideally I'd like to get quite proficient as soon as possible!

@seperatedmum

Total immersion swimming. Jo Wright if you're around herts. cannot recommended total immersion enough, I literally can swim as long as I like now

Came on to say this. OP, you may like your instructor but The recommendation isn't about changing your instructor but changing your whole approach. TI is a totally different way of swimming crawl.

@actiongirl1978

Thanks all, that's brilliant.

@Eightytwenty I would agree that my brain is whizzing trying to keep all the components of the stroke working properly AND get my breathing right!

@DDfollowed I wondered if I am breathing it all out too quickly like I do with breast stroke.

I had one lesson of breathing into the water slowly and gradually while I just held a float. I thought that because I had then done a few weeks of breast stroke breathing out under the water I had it totally nailed...obviously not! I do go for a swim most days, for about 30 mins so I have the time to practice assuming it isn't too busy.

I will absolutely try and slow it all down when I go tomorrow, see if the sedate swimmers won't mind me in the slow lane for a few days!

@FindingMeno The instructor didn't mind that I did 3, he had just told me to do 2 and my instinct was 3. He said there was a danger I would 'snake' if I did 3.

Ok so tomorrow I will slow it down and try to slow the breath down as I expel.

Thanks so much all! I knew I'd find answers here.

What does "snake" mean op?

[quote seperatedmum]this 1:52 [/quote]
Interesting thanks!

Swim smooth better than total immersion based on my experience of the OH trying both approaches.

I wouldn't get hung up too much on whether you breathe every 2nd, 3rd or 4th at this stage, that can be tweaked later if necessary. I swim with a club and everyone has different preferences - in training I actually do 4,2,4,2 etc.

Do you use a pull buoy at all? I'd always recommend doing some practice with a pull buoy so you can concentrate on arms and breathing without worrying about your legs too much.

@SpaceDetective is a pull buoy the float that you pop between legs to keep them static?

Thanks for the tips.

I actually made a bit of progress this morning by accident, I found that if I expel most of my air through my mouth, then switch to nose for a couple of seconds before I turn to take a breath, my mouth isn't already open and so I didn't catch as much water as before and also I seemed to pace my breathing out better. I think before, I was blowing it all out too soon.

Thanks for the video @awesomekilick something to aim for!

is a pull buoy the float that you pop between legs to keep them static?

Yes

I was going to say what CMOT said about humming as you breathe out - it really works to regulate your breathing. And also repeating what others have said, slow right down, forget about speed until you get breathing and rhythm sorted, speed comes later. I think that’s what goes wrong most often, people think crawl means flat out and they hold their breath and thrash away, just ending up exhausted v quickly!

Of course it’s singing more than humming cos otherwise your mouth would be shut

OP I am an injured runner who's just learning to love swimming too! So this thread is fascinating.

I have joined a local gym with a 20m pool and do 40 lengths, two of front crawl then two of breast stroke then repeat.

I'm quite good at crawl but am interested in what you said about breast stroke legs as I was also taught the frogs legs thing when I was young. Please can you tell me what you have learnt ie what our legs SHOULD be doing?

(So much good advice on this thread!)

Anyone still around!! Just back from pool and for the first time ever I went in a lane and did 2 lengths!!! This is huge for me, took me ages to even pluck up the courage to go in the lane and kept expecting the life guards to tell me I wasn’t good enough to get out 😂😂😂

Two lengths of FC?

I am always waiting to be told to get out of the lane and make way for the real swimmers 🤣 I suck at front crawl but I am ok at breast and back stroke. I try and throw in half a length of FC when I feel like no one is looking but I’m so crap.

Not brave enough yet to try my crawl in the lane!! But I’m defo improving in that as well!! Yes I’ll wait till the pool is near deserted before giving it a go 😂

Ahh two lengths is brilliant though I remember when I couldn’t even get half way without being so out of breath and struggling. You do improve fast if you keep up with it!

Thank you so much it is huge for me!! Have been a big feart all my life 😂😂😂

Really pleased to find this thread. I have just started trying to learn front crawl properly. I've had two lessons so far and finding some improvement, but still having the mad dash/panic type feeling each time I try to swim a length. Definitely feeling like I need to slow it down (though am worried I might end up not moving at all!), and was v interested in one of the videos up thread where they said to only take small breaths in - I definitely gulp in as much as I can!

Do I need to be breathing out through my nose, or is mouth ok?

Hi ricepops , my crawl Has definitely improved by slowing down!!!

I need to slow down too. But I worry about getting out of breath. Which is off because I can glide in streamline for ages in breaststroke no worries.

Odd*

That’s fab going in the lane. I too learnt FC, self taught mostly in my mid-40s, after watching my kids learn. I did plateaued a couple of times when I was learning and it was my then 10yr DD a club swimmer who gave me a tip after watching me under the water. Really focusing on the angle of your arm under the water acting as the lever that rotates your body so you don’t ‘lift’your head to breathe it just rotates your body to breathe. I also used a pull buoy a lot to streamline my arms, it really helped me to forget my legs to nail the arm pull. Of course I’d still like to get quicker but I can do upto 2k of crawl now if I get in the zone. The first 20L is always a battle between mind and body then I relax into it. Effortless swimming videos on you tube helped me. Good luck tweaking your technique.

Something to aspire too soo smoooth

Oh his swimming is just amazing to watch!! Looks so effortless!!! I’m all effort lol x