Pace Prediction
Swimmers predict their time for a distance, then try to swim exactly that time – pace awareness rather than flat-out effort.
- Stages
- Stage 6, Stage 7
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Endurance & Pace
- Equipment
- Pace Clock
- Age
- 8–99 years
- Group size
- 2–16 swimmers
- Time
- About 6 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2, Game / Consolidation
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Circle-swim in lanes so swimmers can pass safely.
What it develops
- Swim further with pace awareness
- Swim continuously with controlled pace
How to run it
- Swimmers choose an easy stroke and distance.
- They predict their time using the pace clock.
- Swim at a steady pace aiming to hit the prediction.
- The closest to their own prediction wins – not the fastest.
Teaching cues
- Steady pace.
- Watch the clock.
- Same speed start to finish.
Make it easier
- Teacher calls the time at halfway.
- Shorter distance.
Make it harder
- Predict two lengths and hit both splits evenly.
- Change stroke and repeat.
Common faults
- Sprinting the start and fading.
- Ignoring the clock.
Corrections
- 'Start slower than you think.'
- Look at the clock at each wall.
Assistant / L1 role
- Read the pace clock at the wall and tell swimmers their time.