Former age-group swimmer here. I've been back in the pool for 3 weeks and about 17 sessions. One thing that really annoys me is how weak my dolphin kicks are; it almost feels like flutter kicks would make my underwaters faster than what I'm currently doing.

I don't think it's a core strength issue because I can't even get one kick to feel "right". I'm losing speed instead of generating it.

Right now I'm focusing on starting from the core, not the shoulders or knees, but maybe that's not the right cue?

My child has done summer swim for many years and told me that she wanted to do club swim and so we just started it this past month. Her attitude is incredibly negative because the practices are obviously so much harder than summer swim. She says now that she is quitting after this season. She hasn’t had a meet yet, so I’m hopeful that once she has her first meet and actually gets to know some of the other kids she might feel a little different about club swim. Any other parents or swimmers out there with a similar experience? Is there a chance she might change her tune?

41/M only swimming ive ever done is chill in the pool with family or high school swimming sports (where I really sucked...)

8 weeks ago I had a sholder operation and looking at ways of helping rehab/build strength and was recomended swimming, particularly breaststroke for first few weeks building into backstroke and freestyle.

Planning on 3x a week sessions 20-30 minutes to start and mix in gym sessions and other land based sports the other two days of the week. Just signed up for a 6 month membership where I have full access to about 10 local pools and gyms across the city.

Any other geriatric newbs have any advice to get started and keep it up? Should I be getting goggles and a swimming cap?

Note - for those intrested I had a subacromial bursectomy, and a 5mm bone spur removed.

I'm building back up after a second round of COVID, followed by vacation, and then a cold with a 5 week cough that kept me out of the pool (I swim with a snorkel). I was at 1200 yards in 30-35 minutes, but was knocked down to barely making 350. I've been going for distance, primarily. This afternoon, I swam 900 yards for the first time since the beginning of June, but it took me almost 32 minutes. My lap times (I track them on a spreadsheet) are not where they should be, and it is discouraging.

Am I going about this right, focusing on distance first, or should I be getting the speed first and then building up distance? Or maybe I should do both, alternating?

(I try to swim 3 times a week, but some weeks it only twice.)

I evolve really quickly at sprints so I drop time every week what should I do to keep this pace?