Private Swim Instruction by Woody

I have swam all my life and love being in the pool; however, I never learned how to swim properly. Recovering from a recent foot surgery, I had to find a way to keep my body fit. Woody has helped me grasp the strokes I need to get on track. Thanks Woody!

my lesson was so helpful. I know how to swim and just wanted tips on my stroke. In thirty minutes I learned so much and now have a game plan to practice all the tips she gave me. Also, the lesson was actually pretty fun. I think it’s ridiculous to rate someone one star because she didn’t call you back. Her voicemail specifically says to email or text her so get it together. All in all totally worth it and terrific instructor.

I love swimming but was getting swimmer’s shoulder from, apparently, doing it wrong all these years. I tried to self-​correct, but YouTube videos weren’t quite helpful enough.
I chose Woody skeptically. She had no website and taught her lessons at a random private pool. But her reviews were good…
.and for good reason! Woody can watch you swim for about 5 minutes and immediately start analyzing what you’re doing wrong. Within a few lessons she had me massively improving, without ever feeling like an idiot.
Highly recommended!

I decided to take swim lessons with Woody to review and improve my technique before I began swimming regularly. I’m so glad I did! Thanks to her observations and advice, during each session I learned ways to swim more efficiently and to break the outdated habits I picked up in my high school swim class decades ago. She also gave me helpful suggestions and drills for becoming more comfortable in deep water. I highly recommend Woody — she’s knowledgeable, patient, and very friendly.

I can’t say enough great things about Woody as a swim teacher. I started taking private lessons with her 3 months ago in order to improve/​re-​learn how to swim so I could swim laps for exercise and not feel completely embarrassed by my strokes. I’m an adult who swam on a swim team as a small kid but never really mastered it. As time passed, I loved being in the water but knew I didn’t have the skills, strength or endurance to swim laps for exercise.
She was very gentle with me as she figured out my comfort level in the water and as I developed some strength. She was kind and considerate and also pushed me to grow at a reasonable pace. My classes with her were something I AWLAYS looked forward to and the 30 minute session flew by. The Bellevue Club pool, where she teaches, is heated to a delightfully warm temperature and the facilities are charming. The pool itself, built in the 1920’s is huge and barely occupied by anyone but you and Woody so the private lessons are truly private. If you have any worries at all about swimming or are doing it for the first time ever, Woody is your gal! I’ve just finished my last class with her and can say that I now swim laps every day before work and absolutely love it, thanks to Woody!
A quick note that she’s in high demand and it was a few weeks between the time that I called her and my first session but it was well-​worth the wait.

Unfortunately, Woody never called me back. I called twice, almost two weeks apart, leaving articulate voice mails. I was really eager to take a lesson for myself — for more confidence in my swim strokes so that I can use the techniques for keeping myself active. I am bummed that I will not reap her benefits.

After an unfortunate first experience with an instructor who would dunk my child under water without warning and terrified him (we pulled out ¾ of the way through the first lesson and didn’t go back), it took us awhile to get back to trying swim lessons. I found Woody through Unilocal and could not be more pleased with the lessons. She is very kind, gentle and encouraging yet still manages to keep challenging my 6 year old. She waits for him to be ready to try the next step and still they are making fast progress together. She is thorough and gives him lots of guidance about proper form. We are now in out second session of weekly lessons and my son has gone from no swimming and very anxious about any water on his face at all to happily retrieving rings from the bottom of the pool, floating by himself and swimming independently from point to point when there is no breathing involved (they are working of coordinating how to take a breath now.) I highly recommend Woody! She is exactly what we were hoping to find in an instructor. The facility is great, too. Parking is super easy and free and the pool is usually empty besides the lesson.

Thank goodness I found Woody on Unilocal!She is an awesome instructor… my son is becoming a great swimmer because of Woody’s patience and skilled instruction. Private lessons with Woody are definitely the way to go if you want your child to learn to swim. The pool is an ideal place for private lessons… quiet, clean, indoors!

I have 2 girls taking some lessons to improve their strokes. Both girls are on a swim team. I love that the pool is indoors. Woody is a great swim teacher… I would highly recommend her!

Woody is by far the best swim teacher I have ever seen. She is great at pushing my children to their limits and them pulling them slightly back into their comfort zone so they are always making progress. My youngest, 6, in particular has blossomed with Woody. Going from not putting her face in the water to doing a nice freestyle stroke over a series of about 15 lessons. Not just for youngsters, Woody knows enough to coach any swimmer to improvement.
The Bellevue is an outstanding swim spot. Indoor — so no weather issues. Private and nice. There are showers and changing rooms downstairs. The site is a really quaint belle epoch hidden gem near Lake Merritt. Consider becoming a swim/​gym club member (kids welcome in the pool) at stunningly reasonable prices.
You don’t have to be a member for lessons with Woody.
Swimming is a life-​saving skill. Woody is the best teacher for any age or experience. Highly recommended all around!