Swimming - with the right technique

Swimming is the perfect sport

Swimming trains all the muscles - so it's perfect for shaping the abdomen, buttocks and legs and strengthening the back. Swimming is even more fun when the technology is right. This is ensured by Frank Wüstermann. If anyone knows how to teach landlubbers to swim better, then it is he. The former professional swimmer has been working as a trainer for over fifteen years and offers swimming lessons and one-to-one training in Hamburg. Whether you want to improve your style of breaststroke, dare to start scratching or flirt with your first triathlon? Here you will find tips for every level to refine your technique.

Nice swimming? with the right technology

1. I learned breaststroke at school, nice classic head over water. What can I improve?

For the neck and back, it is better to take your head into the water while exhaling. Just let yourself be carried away by the water. You can slowly build up this swimming technique with an exercise: simply blow it into the water while exhaling. At first the head is still up, then you take it deeper and deeper, until you almost completely dive into the water. This works well with children.

In addition to the technique, the equipment is important when exhaling under water. Even if swimming caps are unpopular with many amateur swimmers: Who wants to swim properly, can not avoid a sensible silicone swim cap. It has two advantages: It keeps annoying hair reliably from the face and the water runs faster from the head - and thus not in the mouth and nose. Tip: It is best to tie the hair together in the neck and then put on the bathing cap. Also important is a swimming goggles. She is reluctant to open her eyes underwater.

2. How do I find good swimming goggles?

"Many adults swim with children's goggles, and I estimate that women have at least 75 percent," says Frank Wüstermann. Most, without knowing it. The reason: For children's glasses, the nose bridge is a little narrower and smaller, so they are often better for women and the water does not run into the glasses. He himself recommends and sells the swimming goggles of Aqua-Sphere in his classes. By the way: even wearers of glasses can use swimming goggles. Most manufacturers have glasses with prescription.

You want to find out if swimming goggles are right? Here's how it works: Press the glasses onto your eyes without putting the rubber band around your head. Does the sunken glasses stick to your face? Then she does that in the water. Do not be surprised: even if the swimming goggles at the beginning holds well and is tight, this does not last forever. "Anyone who goes swimming once a week should replace their glasses after about half a year," recommends Frank Wüstermann. Chlorine, cream, etc. put the rubber and make the glasses leaking after a while. Important: Keep your fingers away from the lenses, otherwise the anti-fog coating will break. Age swimmer trick, so she does not mist: Drive before swimming with your tongue from the inside over the glasses, or spit in once. After swimming, it is best to rinse only with clean water.



3. Hobby swimmers often fail due to proper leg movement when swimming in the breast. What's wrong?

In the USA you learn first crawling and backstroke. With good reason: "Breaststroke is difficult," says Frank Wüstermann. Those who have learned it as a child and have not taken any swimming lessons often make the same mistake, the "scissors". This is an evasive movement in which one leg crosses the other. The kick is asynchronousOne leg is already further in the movement than the other. At first, children can better stay afloat than with an even leg stroke. "Anyone who stops after the seahorse will keep it up," says Frank Wüstermann.

4. How can I find out if I am doing this typical breaststroke miscarriage myself? And if so, how will I get rid of them?

The best way to recognize this is someone who is swimming behind you. He should pay attention to whether one pulls the feet evenly, exposes and stretches again. To learn a smooth swimming motion, best practice with a board. Stretch your arms outstretched and concentrate on your legs. Again, it helps if someone floats behind you and says if the move is done right. By the way: With breaststroke you first pull on your arms and then slightly time-delayed legs. But that's usually done automatically.



5. I am a swimmer and would like to learn to scratch. How do I start?

If you want to improve technique while swimming or learn something new, it makes sense to work separately with arms and legs and only later combine both.Tools such as swimming boards and pull buoys ("pull buoy", a foam block that is stuck between the thighs) help to keep you from going under. Tip: These tools can be borrowed in every swimming pool.

"When watering, the water situation is the decisive factor," explains Frank Wüstermann. "If the water level is right, it is relatively easy." It's best to set yourself straight ahead. Belly in, chest out, shoulders back down. Look two to three meters forward. Then translate this position in the water horizontally. So do not look forward, but down. The goal is to bring more weight to the upper body, so that the legs are higher behind.

It is best to first clamp a Pullbuoy between your thighs and train the arm technique: With your arms straight outstretched, lay your chin straight to your chest and look down. Then push one hand far back to the thighs. Push the water backwards. First bend the wrist, then the elbow. For each third or fourth arm turn the head to the side and inhale. 6. What do the legs do when scratched?

Again, the better the water situation, the better the leg stroke. The distance between the legs is initially relatively large. The better one lies, i. the farther the feet are up, the closer they are together. Then the distance to ankle height is about a foot length. Problem with too large distance: The upper body resonates. The goal of the movement is a smooth glide of the upper body. The legs only bounce slightly up and down.



7. When scratching, I find the leg bump extremely exhausting. Is that normal? How do I become more efficient?

Beginners often go down in the back because the water is not right. The legs begin to paddle wildly to get their heads out of the water. This is very stressful and the heart rate goes up. Thus, the legs only compensate for the wrong posture at the front, but do not give a proper feed. There a Pullbuoy between the thighs helps. The butt gets higher, the water situation gets better and the legs calmer. Then focus on the arms (see point 5).

8. My first triathlon is imminent. How can I optimize my swimming style?

If you can not really crawl and only have a little time left, you should stay in the breaststroke in triathlon. This is absolutely okay for the Jederman distance. If you want to learn to cuddle sensibly, you need at least four to twelve weeks' advance (once a week training). The problem with triathlon in the open water: You see little to nothing. Orientation is the biggest challenge for pelvic swimmers in triathlons. There are markings in the pool so you know where you are. The triathlon has no choice but to look forward and check the position every few breaths. The less experienced you are, the more often you have to look. One should try the open water swimming a few times before the triathlon.

more on the subject


Training plans and tips for improving swimming technique: Michael Hahn "Better swimming in all styles", blv-Verlag, 16.95 euros.

Effects of swimming on the body, orthopedic healthy swimming: Michael Hahn "Right swimming", blv-Verlag, 12.95 euros.

Video Recommendation:

Freestyle Swimming Technique | Stroke (March 2024).



Thriathlon, Instruction, Hamburg, swim, crawl, breaststroke, triathlon, technique