LEARN TO SWIM

THE FRONT CRAWL: NO MORE COMPLICATED THAN THE BREASTSTROKE!

Generally, the majority of people think that the front crawl is a less easy stroke than the breaststroke, for various reasons:

In France, we learn the breaststroke from an early age

The crawl requires having the face in the water, which can cause stress for people who do not feel comfortable in the water,

The crawl is a technical stroke, its learning cannot be improvised

However, learning the crawl is no harder than learning to swim the breaststroke with lifeguard recertification.

Breaststroke swimmer

In the Anglo-Saxon world, children learn the front crawl before the breaststroke, because it is a more efficient stroke to move through the water . In addition, the breaststroke is a restrictive swim for the body, especially when we swim it "head above water", as we are generally taught. It imposes a constraint on the lower back, and greatly solicits the knees. Conversely, the front crawl is less restrictive at the joint level, and allows you to move more quickly.

LEARN TO SWIM AGAIN

The front crawl is therefore not “in itself” harder to swim than the breaststroke; you still have to know how to swim it.

Indeed, the crawl is a technical stroke, which requires mastering several elements, including the entry of the hands into the water, the path of the hands under the water, the alignment of the body, the sheathing, managing to relax in the water, breathe well, etc.

In the rest of this article, we give you the first ways to improve your crawl if you are a beginner.

Nevertheless, we recommend that you contact a swimming instructor , who will be able to give you personalized advice so that you can progress quickly and efficiently. The worst mistake would be to adopt bad technical habits, which you will have trouble erasing later.

THE MAIN ERRORS IN SWIMMING:

TAKE A DEEP BREATH

Swimming is a sport that does not require as much oxygen as running. When you walk, you don't breathe deeply: the same is true when you swim the crawl. If you breathe too hard, CO2 will build up in your lungs and make you feel short of breath. To avoid "too much" breathing, try to exhale very slowly when your face is underwater , and inhale naturally when you stick your head out to breathe. Also try to relax, which will go a long way in preventing you from getting out of breath when swimming.

NOT PERFORMING A FULL MOTION WITH THE ARMS

Many novice swimmers lack technique in the movement their arms make in the water. Incomplete movement will give you less stability and propulsion. To improve this point, be sure to reach deep when your hand enters the water, and push all the way (to your hip). This will allow you better propulsion and efficiency in the water with lifeguard events.

THE POSITION OF THE HEAD AND BODY

When starting out, one of the main faults is the position of the head and body in the water. Beginning swimmers often have runny feet and legs, and sunken backs. Often this is due to the position of the head. Contrary to what one might think, you should not look ahead when swimming the front crawl, as this leads to poor body position in the water. Conversely, look at the bottom of the pool (perpendicular to the body, or a little further forward, up to a maximum angle of 45 degrees). Thanks to this advice, your body position will be improved, which will allow you to swim faster.

FOCUS ON ACCESSORIES:

Swimming accessories

Swimming is a simple sport: a swimsuit, a hat, a pair of glasses are enough. But there is also a range of accessories: pull-buoy, pads of different sizes, board, rubber bands, flippers, ..

The mistake of beginners is to rush too soon on the accessories for the sole purpose of "varying" your session and breaking the monotony. However, each of these accessories corresponds to a very particular job (variations of support, breathing work, isolation of a limb) and requires a good mastery of its technique.

Used improperly, props can cause you to adopt bad habits or sensations, harmful to your progress and your technique. So start by working on your education and leave aside the accessories!

Other faults will have to be corrected as you learn to swim (not "zigzagging", optimizing the path of the arm and hand under water, improving the "catch" phase, etc.). To improve these points, we recommend that you seek advice from a lifeguard. Failing that, ask a loved one to film you when you swim: there is often a big difference between what you think you are doing and what you are really doing when swimming. This may allow you to identify areas for improvement. We wish you good progress!

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