Windmill Arms
Swimmers learn the alternating front crawl arm action standing and walking before trying it swimming.
- Stages
- Stage 3
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Skills
- Front Crawl, Coordination
- Equipment
- None
- Age
- 5–99 years
- Group size
- 1–14 swimmers
- Time
- About 4 minutes
- In a lesson
- Introduction / Warm-up, Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Space swimmers so arms don't hit neighbours.
What it develops
- Swim about 10 metres on the front
- Show early actions for all four strokes
How to run it
- Standing in shoulder-deep water, bend forward so the chin is on the water.
- Circle one arm at a time: reach forward, pull back to the thigh, lift out and over.
- Walk forwards while windmilling.
- Progress to push and glide, then windmill arms with a kick.
Teaching cues
- Reach forward.
- Push the water back to your leg.
- One arm at a time.
Make it easier
- Practise on poolside first.
- Windmill one arm only.
Make it harder
- Add face in and bubbles while walking.
- Swim a width with windmill arms and kick.
Common faults
- Both arms moving together.
- Short, splashy strokes that stop at the tummy.
Corrections
- 'One arm waits while the other works.'
- 'Thumb brushes your leg at the back.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Stand behind a swimmer and guide both arms through the windmill pattern for a few strokes.