Glide, then Engine On
Swimmers glide first, then 'switch on the engine' with a kick when the glide slows – linking glide and kick without losing shape.
- Stages
- Stage 3, Stage 4
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Streamlining, Front Kick, Back Kick, Push and Glide
- Equipment
- None, Float
- Age
- 5–99 years
- Group size
- 1–10 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Clear lanes; swimmers are face down.
What it develops
- Streamlined push and glide on front and back
- Kick on the front, back and side
- Keep a flat, horizontal body position
- Push and glide in a tight streamline
How to run it
- Push and glide on the front in a streamline.
- When the glide slows, start a small fast kick – arms stay streamlined.
- Kick to the target, then stand.
- Repeat on the back.
Teaching cues
- Glide first.
- Engine on – small fast kicks.
- Arms stay together.
Make it easier
- Hold a float and kick after the glide.
- Short target distance.
Make it harder
- Add front crawl arms after six kicks.
- Breathe to the side while kicking.
Common faults
- Kicking straight away.
- Arms separating when kicking starts.
Corrections
- Count 'one, two, three, engine on!'
- 'Glue your hands together.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Clap when the glide slows to cue the kick for swimmers who start too early.