Breath Window Check
Partners watch for 'one goggle in, one goggle out' as the swimmer breathes, turning a common fault into something swimmers can see and fix themselves.
- Stages
- Swimming – Stage 8, Swimming – Stage 9
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Front Crawl Breathing, Body Position
- Equipment
- None, Float
- 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
- Observers walking on poolside stay away from the edge and walk, never run.
What it develops
- Front crawl: long body line with breathing timed to the pull
- Front crawl: rotation, early catch and bilateral breathing
How to run it
- In pairs, swimmer A swims a width of front crawl while partner B walks alongside (in the water or on poolside as directed).
- B watches every breath: is one goggle still in the water, and does the head return before the arm enters?
- B gives one thing that was good and one thing to try; swap roles.
- Repeat with a focus on breathing early – turning as the opposite arm enters.
Teaching cues
- One goggle in, one goggle out.
- Breathe in the bow wave beside your head.
- Head back before your hand lands.
Make it easier
- Practise breathing on the side with a float before swimming full stroke.
Make it harder
- Partner also counts how many strokes the swimmer stalls on – aim for none.
- Repeat while breathing to the less favourite side.
Common faults
- Head lifts out of the water forwards.
- Breathing so late the arm pauses at the front.
- Rolling onto the back to breathe.
Corrections
- 'Rest your cheek on your shoulder.'
- 'Turn as your other hand goes in.'
- 'Quick sip and back down.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Pair yourself with any swimmer without a partner and give the same 'one good thing, one thing to try' feedback, keeping it to the cue the teacher has set.