What is the Shaw Method?
The Shaw Method, founded in 1987 by Steven Shaw, applies the proven principles of the Alexander Technique™ (an educational process that was created to retrain habitual patterns of movement and posture) to swimming.
Thousands of people have developed their swimming skills and transformed their experience of the water through this unique and enjoyable form of instruction, which improves poise, brings greater freedom of movement, and promotes good body alignment while minimising the risk of strain or injury.
Learn to swim in a way that keeps your spine and body in perfect alignment. Glide gracefully through the water, improve your health and master one of the most profound life skills. Learn, improve and perfect all the strokes. We offer courses, workshops & residential breaks.
“I took away many skills and insights that will assist beyond just my front crawl stroke.”
WHAT WE TEACH
COMING UP
Try This
– a series of short tips you can try yourself, straight from the master Steven Shaw
Try This #7 – centre sided swimming in front crawl
Centre side centre swimming with underwater recovery
Try This #6 – Enjoy the benefits of swimming on your back
First, launch off on your back with your hands by your sides and then relax and lengthen the back of your neck so that the head rests gently on the water.
Try This #5 – More on front crawl and the breath
Breathe in from the mouth never the nose so as not get chlorinated water up your nose which can be very unpleasant.
Try This #4 – Turn to breathe before you need to take a breath
Many novice crawl swimmers as they are uncomfortable with breathing in during the crawl swim too many strokes and as a result are desperate to breathe in by and therefore can’t help gasping. This often leads to swallowing water or getting it up the nose.
Try This #3 – Smart swimming the breaststroke
Experiment with softly RELEASING the feet into the frog position and turning the feet out.
Try This #2 – Smart Swimming the front crawl
After placing the arm in the water and extending it, release your forearm, bend your wrist and elbow gently, then apply effort.
Try This #1 – The First Principle
Explore what Steven Shaw calls the first principle – which is that your alignment affects your performance more than any other factor.