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Poolside Shape Freeze

Dry-land practice on a poolside mat: swimmers freeze in straight, star, tuck and pike shapes on command, building the body awareness needed in the air.

Stages
Diving – Stage 8, Diving – Stage 9, Diving – Stage 10
Difficulty
Beginner
Skills
Body Control, Diving Entry
Equipment
Poolside Mat
Age
8–99 years
Group size
1–16 swimmers
Time
About 4 minutes
In a lesson
Introduction / Warm-up, Skill Development 1
Shared by
SwimShare Resource

Safety notes

  • Mats placed well back from the pool edge on a dry area; swimmers walk to and from the mat.

What it develops

  • Hold a tight, streamlined body shape
  • Show straight, star and tuck shapes in jumps
  • Pike and turning jumps with control

How to run it

  1. On a non-slip poolside mat well back from the edge, swimmers lie or sit as shown.
  2. Teacher calls a shape: 'straight' (lying, arms above head, hands locked), 'star', 'tuck' (hugging knees) or 'pike' (sitting, legs straight, reaching to toes).
  3. Swimmers freeze for three seconds with full tension and pointed toes.
  4. Partners check one detail each time (toes, knees, hands).

Teaching cues

  • Tension from fingers to toes.
  • Pointed toes in every shape.
  • Freeze means still.

Make it easier

  • Two shapes only, called slowly.

Make it harder

  • Change between shapes on a count, like a slow-motion jump.

Common faults

  • Bent knees in straight and pike.
  • Floppy hands.

Corrections

  • 'Lock your knees.'
  • 'Hands flat, one on top of the other.'

Assistant / L1 role

  • Run the mat station, calling the shapes and checking one detail per swimmer, while the teacher supervises the in-water group.

Helps with