Pull and Peek
Breaststroke arms with a small forward breath as the hands sweep in – linking arm action and breathing without lifting too high.
- Stages
- Stage 4, Stage 5
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Aquatic Breathing, Breaststroke, Breaststroke Arms
- Equipment
- None, Pull Buoy
- 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
- Show an effective breaststroke leg action
- Show breaststroke arms linked with breathing
- Breaststroke with effective kick, glide and timing
How to run it
- Flutter kick or use a pull buoy.
- As the hands sweep in, lift the chin just enough to breathe.
- Face back in as the hands shoot forward.
- Swim a width, eyes returning down every stroke.
Teaching cues
- Pull, peek.
- Chin just clears the water.
- Face in, shoot forward.
Make it easier
- Walk and practise.
- Hold a float between strokes.
Make it harder
- Add the kick as the face goes in (Pull, Breathe, Kick, Glide).
- Keep the peek low for a full length.
Common faults
- Lifting the head and shoulders high.
- Breathing after the hands have gone forward.
Corrections
- 'Just peek over the water, like looking over a wall.'
- Breathe as the hands come in, not later.
Assistant / L1 role
- Watch from the front and give a height score: 'peek' or 'jump'.