Best program for beginning swimmer?

In my opinion just spend more time in swimming pool instead of books.

Try "0 to 1650 in 6 Weeks" http://ruthkazez.com/SwimWorkouts/ZeroTo1mile.html

It took long time for me to get breathing, I used to swim 25m-50m max for such a long time that I almost gave up. Then suddenly I started to swim 500m just after one week of my 50m. Also open water gives so much confidence after, now I feel much more comfortable in water.

Really need to focus on form and breathing up front. One of the first things that I focus on with new swimmers is to develop a rhythmic breathing pattern. If a swimmer isn't breathing properly they have a great deal of difficulty in learning anything else. Additionally form and kick really need to be addressed or you will just ingrain bad habits that will be much harder to change later. If you cannot afford a swim coach at least ask other competent swimmers at the pool to look at what you are doing. A swim coach at least for a few sessions can really pay off in the long run. Efficiency can be increased by well over a 100% with a good swim coach in just a few sessions...

Well give that a try, thanks.

I can afford a coach but know of none in my area (Augusta Ga). They have basic swim lessons at the Y but I'm not sure that would be any help. My breathing rhythm is good I think, I breath bilateral but my kick is terrible and I know my legs sink. Swimming is the only thing holding me back from competing so I'm very frustrated. Thanks for your advice.

If you know you are having kick problems try adding some time with a kick board to focus on it. Isolating your kick from the rest of your swimming stroke can allow you to focus on that aspect without having to do everything at once. Eventually you can add your improved kick into your swim and it will become natural.

If you can only swim 50m I would think basic lessons is exactly what you need. Normally lessons at the Y are broken down by skill level, so they could evaluate you and determine which class. Or sign up for private lessons with them. The downside of the Y and Red Cross lessons is sometimes they only focus on survival swimming rather than exercise or the competative strokes. But the instructors know how to teach the other stuff if you make your needs felt. Swim America is also an option. My understanding is that its program is usually run by swim clubs. They seem to focus more on mechanics that just survival.

You other option is to contact various swim teams and see if a coach will give you lessons.

Freestyle stroke really doesn't need much of a kick. One of the biggest issues with beginning swimmers is they feel like they have to kick like crazy to go any where. Free style (front Crawl) gets its power from the arms and shoulders. Kicking a great deal wastes a lot of energy with little benefit in the form of speed. I use a two beat kick (2 kicks per arm cycle) and the kicks are really just a natural rhythm and don't really contribute much. Many new swimmers feel like the kick is what keeps them moving and this isn't the case. Also make sure that your head is down and this will help alleviate your feet/legs from sinking. A swim coach is a worthwhile investment, especially at the beginning.

At my health club they have both a full-blown USMS program and another program they call "Masters Basic" for people who may already understand survival swimming but want to start swimming [better/faster/longer]. It's coached by one of the USMS coaches and is focused more on individual stroke development. The classes have lots of rest and use drills targeted towards your specific weaknesses.

It may be worth researching local Masters programs and seeing if there's something similar. And if not, seeing if one of the Masters coaches would be willing to work with you separately. From my experience you can make some progress on your own but if you really want to get better quicker you need someone on the deck to watch your stroke and provide effective feedback to make you more efficient.

I googled "augusta ga swim lessons". The first hit was this place
http://iswimdolphin.com/
The list triathlon training as one of the classes. As well as adult, private and semi private. Contact them and discuss your needs.

It may be worth it to talk to some of those basic instructors at the Y. Some of them are most likely competitive swimmers and teaching the basics to kids. So if they are willing to do some private lessons , that can be a good way to go.

Swim 20 x 25 rest 20 sec between... use the pace clock and try and improve your average time.


Do that for 2 weeks. Post again after. You need to train like a kid, trust me.

Just looked the "dolphin academy" website up, looks like a great option, 10 minutes from my house and very affordable. Thanks for the help!