Touch and Turn
An open turn for front crawl: touch, tuck, turn, push off on the side – quick, controlled and safe for learners.
- Stages
- Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Streamlining, Turns
- Equipment
- None
- Age
- 7–99 years
- Group size
- 1–14 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- One swimmer turning at a time on each part of the wall.
What it develops
- Basic turns with a streamlined push-off
- Turns with streamlined push-offs and underwater phase
- Turns suited to each stroke
How to run it
- Swim in, touch the wall with one hand.
- Tuck the knees up to the chest, turn the body sideways.
- Take a breath, drop under, feet on the wall.
- Push off on the side and rotate to the front in a streamline.
Teaching cues
- Touch, tuck, turn.
- Breathe, drop.
- Push on your side.
Make it easier
- Practise from standing at the wall.
- Push off on the front.
Make it harder
- Two-hand version for breaststroke and butterfly.
- Faster turn with a longer streamline.
Common faults
- Standing up on the floor to turn.
- Pushing off on the back.
Corrections
- 'Knees to your chest – stay small.'
- 'Feet on the wall, sideways.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Supervise the turning wall and check each swimmer tucks rather than stands.