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Useful Tips When Learning to Swim

Sculling Skills
One of the most important skills a young child can learn in swimming is the ability to scull effectively.
 
Sculling is used to provide children with a good feel for the water and will also improve their initial catch of the water in all four strokes.
 
Sculling is the back and forth movement of the hands in the water in a figure 8 pattern, so that the hands are always pressing against fresh non-moving water. The pitch of the hand changes on each inward and outward sweep and the body will move in the direction of the back of the hands.In learn-to-swim, there are a number of sculling drills that should be taught from a young age.
  
Breathing
Basic drills that you can use to familiarize yourself with breathing in the water. Remember, wear swim goggles even while doing these basic drills!
 
Drill #1: In shallow water, hold your breath, then crouch down so that your head gets under water. Hold for some seconds, then come back up.
 
Drill #2: Same as drill #1, but exhale under water through the nose so that you blow bubbles.
 
Drill #3: Same as drill #2, except that you now blow bubbles both out of your nose and your mouth.
 
Drill #4: In shallow water, crouch so that the water surface is between you nose and your mouth. Now practice inhaling through the nose above water and exhaling through the mouth under water.
 
 
Kicking
Learning The Flutter Kick
The flutter kick is a simple yet effective swimming technique where your legs execute kind of a whipping motion. As a beginner you should learn to do this technique in a prone and in a supine position. You'll be then able to use the flutter kick to tread water and to swim dog paddle. Later on, you'll use this technique while swimming backstroke and the freestyle stroke.
 
Learning The Breaststroke Kick
As a beginner, it is also important to know the breaststroke kick, even though it's more difficult to learn than the flutter kick. Beginners can use the breaststroke kick to tread water and to swim elementary backstroke. Obviously the breaststroke kick is also used while swimming breaststroke.
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