Home › Stage 3

Roll-Over Kick

Swimmers kick six on the front, roll to the back, kick six, and roll again – rotating without stopping.

Stages
Stage 3
Difficulty
Developing
Skills
Rotation, Front Kick, Back Kick
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

  • Space swimmers well – rolling swimmers drift.

What it develops

  • Rotate front to back and back to front while moving
  • Kick on the front, back and side

How to run it

  1. Kick on the front with arms by the sides (or holding a float), face in.
  2. After six kicks, roll onto the back and breathe.
  3. Six kicks on the back, then roll onto the front.
  4. Continue across the width.

Teaching cues

  • Keep kicking as you roll.
  • Head leads the roll.
  • Breathe on your back.

Make it easier

  • Hug a float against the chest throughout.
  • Only one roll.

Make it harder

  • Arms stretched overhead in a streamline.
  • Roll every three kicks.

Common faults

  • Kicking stops during the roll.
  • Bending at the hips and sinking.

Corrections

  • Count kicks out loud through the roll.
  • 'Long body – like a pencil rolling on a table.'

Assistant / L1 role

  • Count the kicks aloud for a swimmer and call 'roll!' at the right moment until they own the rhythm.

Helps with