Image via Wikipedia
As with any sport or skill, you need to practice, practice, practice. Here are some tips on ways that you can practice your kicking and strokes to become a better swimmer.
Practice you kicking while holding on to the edge of the pool. Let your legs float up until they are parallel with the bottom of the swimming pool. Then, kick your feet as hard as you can for as long as you can. When you get tired, take a break for a minute or two. Then resume your kicking. After a while, place your face in the water while you are kicking. Occasionally lift your head out of the water to take a breath. Keep kicking while you take a breath.
When learning a new stroke, use a kickboard. Grasp the kickboard with one hand. Kick your feet. With your other arm, practice your stroke. When that arm gets tired, switch arms. The nice thing about using a kickboard is that it will keep you floating above the water and you won’t be depending on your stroke to keep you afloat. You can even hold onto the side of the pool to practice your stroke. It’s a little bit harder than using a kickboard because you might have a tendency to hit the wall of the pool.
Be sure to wear goggles while practicing your strokes. This will help keep the water out of your eyes so you can see where you are swimming and so you can pay attention to the quality of your stroke. When buying goggles, find a pair that fits the shape of your eye socket. It should have a good seal to keep the water out. If you have long hair, use a swim cap so that your hair won’t be floating in your face and getting in your way.
