Can you teach an old doggy paddler new tricks?
Does advancing age impact learning itself? Are older people simply incapable of understanding the instructions given to them and interpreting them into the correct movements required?
Mastery In An Unstable Environment
In a 'stable environment, under very easy conditions, in a relatively short amount of time we can teach someone to swim with a particular stroke style and they can be successful for the simple test swims set for them. But if that swimmer needs to use this stroke in competition, or in serious open water, they have not yet done the work to master that skill for the unstable environment.