Home › Artistic Swimming – Stage 8

Artistic Warm-Up Swim

An easy warm-up linking strokes, sculls and layouts – one width each – to loosen up and switch on body control.

Stages
Artistic Swimming – Stage 8, Artistic Swimming – Stage 9, Artistic Swimming – Stage 10
Difficulty
Beginner
Skills
Sculling, Breaststroke, Body Positions
Equipment
None
Age
8–99 years
Group size
1–20 swimmers
Time
About 5 minutes
In a lesson
Introduction / Warm-up
Shared by
SwimShare Resource

Safety notes

  • Agree a direction; swimmers enter the water safely.

What it develops

  • Standard and support sculls
  • Body positions with full extension

How to run it

  1. Width 1: easy breaststroke with a long glide.
  2. Width 2: back layout with a head-first scull.
  3. Width 3: backstroke with pointed toes.
  4. Width 4: front layout glides with a breath between each.

Teaching cues

  • Easy pace.
  • Pointed toes everywhere.
  • Long body lines.

Make it easier

  • Choose any two widths.

Make it harder

  • Add a log roll in the middle of each width.

Common faults

  • Rushing the sculling width.
  • Flexed feet.

Corrections

  • 'Warm-up pace.'
  • 'Ballet toes.'

Assistant / L1 role

  • Watch the sculling width and note anyone whose hips sink for the teacher.