Pencil Glide on the Back
Back push and glide in a long pencil shape, starting from the wall.
- Stages
- Stage 1
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Back Float, Streamlining, Push and Glide
- Equipment
- None, Float
- Age
- 4–99 years
- Group size
- 1–8 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Swimmers must be able to recover from the back before gliding without support.
What it develops
- Float on the back with support
- Push and glide on the front and back
How to run it
- Swimmers hold the wall with both hands, feet on the wall, knees bent.
- Lie the head back so the ears are in the water.
- Let go and push gently off the wall, arms by the sides.
- Glide in a long pencil shape looking at the ceiling, then recover to standing.
Teaching cues
- Ears in, eyes up.
- Hips high, tummy up.
- Push gently – no need to be fast.
Make it easier
- Hug a float on the chest.
- Assistant supports under the head during the glide.
Make it harder
- Arms stretched above the head.
- Add a gentle back kick at the end of the glide.
Common faults
- Pushing downwards so the body sinks.
- Sitting up during the glide.
Corrections
- 'Push along the top of the water.'
- Place the teacher's hand under the hips as a target.
Assistant / L1 role
- Stand behind the swimmer's head and support them as they push, then walk alongside.