How to Dive for Swimming: A Quick Guide for Beginners

A proper dive is not easy to master. It is not as easy as jumping into the pool with your head and hands getting in the water first. When you do it without attention to the proper techniques, you can be prone to injuries. This will also not provide the momentum that you need for swimming. With this, if you want to learn how to dive for swimming, keep on reading and we’ll let you know how you can do it like a pro.

How to Dive for Swimming: A Quick Guide for Beginners

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Dive for Swimming

1. Build Confidence

2. Imagine there is a Hoop

3. Learn the Different Dive Positions

4. Get Into the Water

Pro Tips

Conclusion

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Dive for Swimming

Ready to learn the fundamentals of diving? Before anything else, go find yourself a nice spot where you can practice. Find a deep pool where diving is allowed. A good pool should be at least nine feet deep for it to be considered excellent for your practice. Avoid practicing your dive in natural bodies of water, including lakes and rivers. Make sure as well that you are supervised so that a rescue is immediately available when things go wrong.

Now, let’s dive in and talk about the steps you have to follow.

1. Build Confidence

For those who are diving for the first time, it is easy to be nervous. Take the time to build your confidence. Get used to the thought of diving. Jump into the water first and swim. This way, you can feel the water and you will get used to it. You should also practice on land before you get into the water.

Start at a low position, which should be the edge of the pool. This will make you less nervous. As you become more confident, this is when you can try diving from a higher block.

As a way of building your confidence, it is also crucial to learn the right position and how you will approach the edge of the pool or the block. Raise your arms in such a way that it will be streamlined above your head. Move forward until you reach the edge of the pool. Your toes should grip on the edge. Position your feet side by side, ideally shoulder-width apart from each other. Slightly bend your knee at around 120 degrees. Keep your arms and back straight as you bend. Rock your body slightly forward. At this point, you should be feeling the weight of your body shift. Once you are ready, dive in!

2. Imagine there is a Hoop

While you are at the edge of the pool, picture an imaginary hoop in the water. Then, think of yourself as the ball. The goal is to shoot the ball in the hoop. So, you should aim for that circle, which should not be too near or too far from the edge of the pool.

As you get into the imaginary hoop, it is crucial that your hand touches the water first. This makes sense because it is also the most extended part of the body as you prepare for the dive. Landing with your face and belly first can hurt. Worse, it will not give you the energy or the momentum to propel into the water after your dive.

3. Learn the Different Dive Positions

There are two main positions that will be important as you learn how to dive for swimming. The first is the one earlier mentioned. Your feet will be shoulder-width apart and should be firmly grounded on the edge of the pool. Your toes, meanwhile, should clasp on the edge, as if you are holding off the body. Bend slightly and push yourself forward so that you will get off the pool. While doing this, make sure that your arms are straight above the head and they should be touching the water first and not any other part of your body.

The second is called the track position. The name is an obvious reference to how it is the same position when running on a track. Instead of having your foot side by side, one should be slightly forward with toes gripping the edge of the pool. The other foot should be at the back. The dominant foot is the one forward and this is also what will push you into the water.

4. Get Into the Water

After building your confidence and assuming the right position, now is the time to get into the water and dive. Push yourself and keep the right position as you enter the water. Do not enter too deep. The wrong entry to the water will affect the rest of your swim, so it is important that you start at the right foot.

Pro Tips

Via: http://www.utdailybeacon.com/sports/swim-dive-prepare-for-first-championship-style-meet-of-the/article_266b3840-f34a-11e8-814b-b3d2b782f0ae.html

Before we end this post, allow us to leave you with some practical tips that will help you master diving.

• Avoid the belly flop. This is a diving technique wherein your belly gets in the water first. This can destroy your technique and momentum. As mentioned earlier, it is your hands and your head that should get into the water first. This is crucial for building your speed and will directly impact your performance in the rest of the swim.
• Mind the depth of the pool. Never dive from the shallow end as this can lead to an injury. As earlier mentioned, the minimum depth should be around nine feet. Look at the swimming rules at where you are and make sure that they allow diving.
• Wear goggles and a swimming cap. By equipping yourself with the right gear, you will be more confident of your performance in the water. Make sure that they fit right to keep you comfortable.
• When you lift your hands and get ready for the dive, do not look at the pool. Since you will be lowering your head, point your eyes to your knees. This is helpful in maintaining a natural profile.
• As you enter the water, try to do this at a slight angle. If you enter in a flat manner, this can hurt your body and will make you prone to injury.
• Practice makes perfect, even when it comes to diving. The best way to achieve perfection in your diving technique is to keep on practicing. Do it with someone who is already experienced in diving to correct your mistakes and provide insights on what you can do to further improve.

Conclusion

After reading this short post, we hope that you are already familiar with how to dive for swimming. The thought of getting into the water with your head landing first can be quite scary. It can cause an injury and will affect your swimming momentum if you don’t do it properly. So, take note of the steps and tips mentioned above to do it right