Swim Golf
Strokes plus seconds for a width or length makes a 'golf score' – lower is better – so swimmers balance stroke length and speed.
- Stages
- Swimming – Stage 9, Swimming – Stage 10
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Stroke Efficiency, Endurance & Pace
- Equipment
- Pace Clock
- Age
- 9–99 years
- Group size
- 2–20 swimmers
- Time
- About 7 minutes
- In a lesson
- Game / Consolidation
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Competition with yourself only; stagger starts.
What it develops
- Use stroke count and tempo to swim efficiently
- Set and review personal technique challenges
How to run it
- Swimmers swim one width/length, counting strokes; the teacher or partner times it.
- Score = stroke count + time in seconds.
- Swimmers try to lower their score on the next go by changing tempo or stroke length.
- Compare only with your own earlier score.
Teaching cues
- Long and smooth beats short and frantic.
- Streamline off the wall – it's free distance.
- Find your best mix.
Make it easier
- Use widths and just count strokes.
Make it harder
- Play with backstroke and breaststroke too.
- Play over 50 metres including a turn.
Common faults
- Gliding so long that the time grows.
- Sprinting with very short strokes.
Corrections
- 'Both numbers matter.'
- 'Keep the kick going in the glide.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Time and add up scores for your lane, writing each swimmer's best on the whiteboard.