Tricks for Swim Lessons

Swimming can be arduous for beginners; the pressure of the water, combined with the high energy needed to keep moving forward is not for the faint of heart. With regular practice and instruction, however, students build endurance and stamina. Make it easier on your swim students by teaching them a few tips and tricks to help them glide through the water.

  1. Swimsuits

    • The appropriate swimwear can make a difference between success and failure for both beginner and advanced students. Swimsuits or trunks should fit properly. Suits for both men and women should be in one piece and should feel secure on the body. Too loose, and the suit can bog down a swimmer, while a suit that is too tight can cut off circulation. A swim cap made out of Lycra or latex can keep a swimmer's hair in place, while goggles help a swimmer see underwater to help guide his direction.

    Form and Position

    • Focus on form to allow your student to achieve faster laps by meeting less resistance in the water. Watch the leg kicks for each type of stroke in your swimmer to make sure the legs are giving enough propulsion to the body. Assess your student's arm strokes to ensure he is getting the most from his movement. Watch the position of your student's body in the water: the head should allow the water to flow over and around the body with minimal amount of resistance.

    Change Up the Routine

    • Increase your student's stamina in the water by changing the routine. Instead of swimming lap after lap with at the same stroke and speed, switch up your student's work out with ascending or descending speed training. Assign a specific stroke and ask the student to begin swimming laps slowly while increasing the speed, or ask her to begin by swimming quickly, slowly decreasing the speed during the workout. Alternatively, pick two strokes -- like the freestyle and the breaststroke -- and have her alternate strokes between laps to work out different muscle groups.

    Flip Through Laps

    • Teach your student to flip under water to gain speed and reduce time between laps. Ask the student to swim until he is a little less than an arm's length away from the wall of the pool. Once there, instruct him to do a forward somersault under the water. When he flips halfway through the water, he should push his feet against the wall of the pool. As he straightens, his body should twist to turn right-side-up as he comes to the surface of the water. Ask your student to practice this trick repeatedly throughout the lessons.