Body Wave Glide
From a streamlined glide, swimmers make a gentle wave from chest to toes – the movement that drives dolphin kick and butterfly.
- Stages
- Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Dolphin Kick, Body Wave
- Equipment
- None, Short Fins
- Age
- 6–99 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
- Short distances with breaths as needed; no underwater challenges.
What it develops
- Show dolphin kick and early butterfly movement
- Butterfly rhythm with early full-stroke arms
- Butterfly with two-kick rhythm and forward breathing
- Efficient butterfly for a short distance
How to run it
- Push off in a streamline on the front.
- Press the chest down, let the hips rise, then the knees and feet follow like a wave.
- Small waves – the arms stay together.
- Lift the head to breathe after a few waves, then continue.
Teaching cues
- Chest down, hips up.
- Small waves.
- Arms stay together.
Make it easier
- Arms by the sides – easier to feel the chest press.
- Short fins for extra help.
Make it harder
- Add a kick at the end of each wave (dolphin kick).
- Do it on the side and on the back.
Common faults
- Bending only at the knees.
- Huge waves that go deep.
- Arms bending and separating.
Corrections
- 'The wave starts in your chest.'
- 'Keep the waves small and fast.'
- Hold a float to fix the arms.
Assistant / L1 role
- Demonstrate the chest press standing in the water beside swimmers who can't feel where it starts.