Two-Hand Touch Turn
The breaststroke and butterfly turn: both hands touch together, one elbow drops back, turn, push off in a streamline.
- Stages
- Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Breaststroke, Butterfly, Turns
- Equipment
- None
- Age
- 7–99 years
- Group size
- 1–12 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Take turns at the wall – no more than two swimmers turning per section.
What it develops
- Breaststroke with effective kick, glide and timing
- Butterfly rhythm with early full-stroke arms
- Basic turns with a streamlined push-off
- Breaststroke with strong propulsion and controlled glide
- Butterfly with two-kick rhythm and forward breathing
- Turns with streamlined push-offs and underwater phase
- Efficient breaststroke over distance
- Efficient butterfly for a short distance
- Turns suited to each stroke
How to run it
- Swim in and touch the wall with both hands at the same time.
- Drop one elbow back towards the other end, knees tuck in.
- The other arm goes over the head like answering a phone.
- Push off on the side, rotating to the front in a streamline.
Teaching cues
- Two hands touch.
- Elbow back, phone call.
- Push on your side.
Make it easier
- Practise from a glide into the wall.
- Stand and walk through the movement.
Make it harder
- Add the breaststroke pull-out after the push.
- Butterfly: two dolphin kicks off the wall.
Common faults
- One-hand touch.
- Standing on the floor to turn.
Corrections
- 'Hands arrive together.'
- Knees up and stay small.
Assistant / L1 role
- Watch hand touches at the wall and call 'two hands' or 'one hand'.