Forward Roll to Push
Swimmers learn the forward somersault in open water before trying it at the wall – the first step towards a tumble turn.
- Stages
- Stage 5, Stage 6
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Rotation, Turns
- Equipment
- None, Noodle
- Age
- 7–14 years
- Group size
- 1–10 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2, Game / Consolidation
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Plenty of space – swimmers can be disorientated after rolling.
- Shallow water where they can stand up immediately.
What it develops
- Basic turns with a streamlined push-off
- Turns with streamlined push-offs and underwater phase
How to run it
- Standing in chest-deep water, push forward into a glide.
- Tuck the chin, pull the knees in and roll forward, blowing out through the nose.
- Come up facing the same way.
- Progress: swim three strokes, then roll.
Teaching cues
- Chin to chest.
- Small ball.
- Hum through your nose.
Make it easier
- Hold a noodle under the arms for the roll.
- Handstand first (Stage 3).
Make it harder
- Roll and push off an imaginary wall into a streamline.
- Roll after three strokes of front crawl.
Common faults
- Water up the nose.
- Opening out too soon.
Corrections
- Hum all the way round.
- 'Stay a ball until you're round.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Stand close to swimmers learning the roll and help them find their feet afterwards.