Who remembers Will Ferrell’s character from Anchorman when he first gets on camera and confusedly says, “I never know what to do with my hands…”?
Well guess what Will, neither do I.
When I was first learning how to swim, I learned the keyhole stroke. Then 10 years down the line, I find out I’m supposed to be pulling straight back. And now I come to find I never properly learned how to catch…
My point here is that everything in swimming is constantly changing.
Okay, maybe not constantly, but pretty frequently. You know how Pizza Hut has those silly pizzas that are only around for a limited time? I like to think of it like that.
People are constantly researching what’s best for your body. How to improve power and efficiency. What are the safest movements your body can make to prevent injury.
All of this equates to the coaches you have throughout your lifetime telling you different things. Which can be really hard to keep up with. As long as you ask questions, and the coach de jour is trying to help you get better while keeping you injury free, you’ll be on the right path.
We coaches do our best to stay up to snuff on the best ways to improve your swimming. And help you progress through the learning process. But if you ever have questions, please ask us!
Our goal is to have everyone know how to swim in the safest way possible so that you can be swimming for the rest of your lives. Don’t hesitate to question us, we’d love to explain anything we preach, it is what keeps us getting better year after year.
Questioning your coaches will also help them become better at their jobs. Not to mention, give you a more rounded knowledge of the sport.
Yes, it can be hard to keep up with at times. But the more you focus on moving forward with the change, the easier it will be for you to adapt and progress consistently.
Some things seem to have the lasting power of stuffed crust pizza. While others fall to the wayside like the mini hot dog crust. (Not sure what I’m talking about? Be glad, you dodged a bullet.)
Either way, as long as you’re questioning, learning, and moving forward as the research does, you’ll be in the right boat.
