Press the T
Swimmers gently press their chest (the 'T' across the shoulders and down the breastbone) into the water to bring the hips up.
- Stages
- Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Front Crawl, Body Position
- Equipment
- None, Float, Floating Toys
- Age
- 6–99 years
- Group size
- 1–14 swimmers
- Time
- About 4 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
What it develops
- Swim front crawl with side breathing
- Front crawl with breathing timed to the arm action
- Efficient front crawl with rotation and rhythmic breathing
How to run it
- Push and glide on the front.
- Gently press the chest down into the water – the hips rise.
- Add kick, keeping the press.
- Swim front crawl feeling the hips near the surface.
Teaching cues
- Press your chest.
- Hips up.
- Head in line.
Make it easier
- Glide with a float, feeling the hips rise.
- Assistant places a hand under the hips then removes it.
Make it harder
- Full stroke with breathing – hips stay up on the breath.
- Swim with a floating toy resting on the lower back.
Common faults
- Pressing so hard the swimmer dives down.
- Lifting the head, which sinks the hips.
Corrections
- 'Just a little press, like leaning on a table.'
- Eyes down to the floor.
Assistant / L1 role
- Watch from the side and describe where the hips are: 'surface', 'under', 'sinking'.