# Private swimming lessons.



## Chris Hobson (Jul 19, 2022)

Regular readers of my wibblings will be aware of my 500 miles in 2022 swim challenge. This was one of a number of factors that lead me to sign up for private swimming lessons. My swimming technique has now reached a reasonable standard thanks to me having attended masters swim classes in the past. These group sessions are usually cheap, in some cases free with your gym membership or entry fee for the pool. They also tend to involve masochistic levels of swim based exercise. Part of my thinking was that by endlessly barreling up and down the pool my technique would start to become sloppy and a one to one instructor would help to keep that in check. One on one instruction is expensive, £25 per half hour session, but an odd aspect of my decision to sign up was my determination not to turn into my dad. My retirement plan hasn't left me rich but I do now have a reasonable amount of disposable income and, having already acquired most of the things that I need, nothing to spend it on. My dad learned how to live frugally because he, and his parents before him, knew genuine austerity. The problem was that, when more comfortable times came along, he just wouldn't spend his money. He still hadn't spent it when he got his finishers' medal and tee shirt. So yes, expensive but I can afford it.

I'm a member of the Total Fitness gym at Willerby near Hull. They work in partnership with the Becky Adlington Swimstars swimming school. The Swimstars school is mainly geared towards teaching children to swim to a high standard and I did get the feeling that lessons for adults were a bit of an afterthought. This is understandable seeing as I was the only adult taking lessons at the Willerby venue. Still, the teachers worked very hard to make my training sessions interesting and informative. I learned to do tumble turns. I attempted to learn the butterfly stroke. I've learned lots of drills that are designed to improve my technique. I've learned that you can never do enough kick drills. I have my last lesson next Monday, I now just need to carry on working on the stuff that I have learned.


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