mixing arm strokes with leg strokes

Pat said:

I saw three people on two different days swimming the crawl but using the
side-stroke kick at the same time. Was this taught at one time as the proper
way to swim? I estimate these people probably learned to swim in the late
1940's or early 1950's. The reason I say that is because both used a
straight-arm approach, and both had their hands enter the water with the
heel of the palm first. Both of the women, but not the man, seemed to pause
for a slight bit prior to having their hands enter the water. With the arms
and legs doing two different strokes, their progress was jerky, but they did
manage several laps. All three kept their heads pretty much out of the
water, which let their lower halves sink.

Just wondering.

Pat in TX

I'm guessing that keeping their heads up out of the water is the main
reason for adopting their style of kick and as for the unscupltured
hand entry into the water... they're happy enough to do what feels
relaxed and lazy?

Quoted message said:

peopel tend to make assumption about what they can and can't do, or
think they are doing, until a test prooves otherwise.
Postural tests being the most common source of seeing this.
After an accident, I tried to do something one day, but kept veering
to the right. Try as I might, I had no control of the left side and
trying to 'think' control didn't work. Yes, when a limb demonstrates
it seemingly has a mind of its own, it can indeed be very spooky...
well, scary anyway.

I think you may be correct in your first sentence. So many times I have
instructed someone to do something differently only to hear them respond
"But I AM doing it that way!" when of course they are not. I would wonder
"what is wrong with him?"

Pat in TX

Quoted message said:

I'm guessing that keeping their heads up out of the water is the main
reason for adopting their style of kick and as for the unscupltured
hand entry into the water... they're happy enough to do what feels
relaxed and lazy?

I had a friend who was born in 1930 who always swam the crawl by having his
elbow hit the water first, followed by the heel of his palm. I told him that
the style today is to have the fingertips enter the water first and he
adamantly argued that I was wrong. I tend to think that people try to stay
with what they were taught as children...and then there are those who
obviously are self-taught. I just wonder about the perceptible pause right
before putting the hand into the water. Another woman in that age group
swims the breast stroke with the side stroke leg scissors kick. Very
strange.

Pat in TX

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

peopel tend to make assumption about what they can and can't do, or
think they are doing, until a test prooves otherwise.
Postural tests being the most common source of seeing this.
After an accident, I tried to do something one day, but kept veering
to the right. Try as I might, I had no control of the left side and
trying to 'think' control didn't work. Yes, when a limb demonstrates
it seemingly has a mind of its own, it can indeed be very spooky...
well, scary anyway.

I think you may be correct in your first sentence. So many times I have
instructed someone to do something differently only to hear them respond
"But I AM doing it that way!" when of course they are not. I would wonder
"what is wrong with him?"

Pat in TX

A video camera is a wonderful training aid!
--
Duncan Heenan
(Speaking personally)

Pat said:

Quoted message said:

peopel tend to make assumption about what they can and can't do, or
think they are doing, until a test prooves otherwise.
Postural tests being the most common source of seeing this.
After an accident, I tried to do something one day, but kept veering
to the right. Try as I might, I had no control of the left side and
trying to 'think' control didn't work. Yes, when a limb demonstrates
it seemingly has a mind of its own, it can indeed be very spooky...
well, scary anyway.

I think you may be correct in your first sentence. So many times I have
instructed someone to do something differently only to hear them respond
"But I AM doing it that way!" when of course they are not. I would wonder
"what is wrong with him?"

Pat in TX

The club I mentioned above was also a venue for swimming instructor
courses. Already qualified instructors were also invited to join.
I wasn't involved as such. I was a member of the club doing my own
thing. However, I was asked to do a few post course workshops with the
students.

The kind of stuff I did with them probably comes under the heading of
experimental swimming, or, just as accurate; child's play.

If you wish, go direct to the section "Things to do and how to do
them" on http://homepage.eircom.net/~comicaquatic/

For example, I'd talk them through how to do the reverse front crawl.
(looks like like reversing a video clip of someone doing front crawl,
I'm told) I would then demonstrate and then repeat the essential bits
of information.
I would then re-demonstrate and re-explain each individual factors
involved separately.
Then it was their turn.
What they found most valuable to them from these little workshops was
finding themselves experiencing just what it is to be like a learner
swimmer . They see something, it's explained, they're already very
proficient ... and yet, they just can't get it at first like the
assumed they automatically would.

It's not just that they think something is working when it obviously
isn't, its that the conditioning they are accustomed to do standard
swimming is so alien to what they now try that the mental connections
simply aren't there to deal with it.

Perhaps that's what is wrong with them.