Feet-First Scull
On the back, swimmers change their hand angle to travel feet-first – real control of sculling rather than flapping.
- Stages
- Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Sculling
- Equipment
- None, Noodle
- Age
- 6–99 years
- Group size
- 1–12 swimmers
- Time
- About 4 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2, Recap / Safe Exit
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Swimmers travel towards their feet – someone watches for the wall.
What it develops
- Scull to support and to travel
- Scull with control in different positions
- Scull and tread water with control
- Tread water and scull efficiently for longer
How to run it
- Float on the back, arms by the sides.
- Scull with fingertips pointing up slightly so the palms push towards the head.
- Travel feet-first a few metres.
- Swap between head-first and feet-first on the teacher's call.
Teaching cues
- Fingertips up.
- Push to your head.
- Small, steady hands.
Make it easier
- Noodle under the knees.
- Head-first first.
Make it harder
- Change direction without stopping.
- Scull feet-first with legs in a tuck.
Common faults
- Big arm movements.
- Hands pushing down so the hips sink.
Corrections
- 'Stir a small bowl of soup by your hip.'
- Keep wrists relaxed.
Assistant / L1 role
- Stand at the end they are travelling towards and call when they are near the wall.