Flat Hand Grab
Learn the diver's hand position – one flat hand gripping the other, palms facing the water – that protects the head and opens the entry.
- Stages
- Diving – Stage 8, Diving – Stage 9
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Skills
- Streamlining, Diving Entry
- Equipment
- None
- Age
- 8–99 years
- Group size
- 1–20 swimmers
- Time
- About 3 minutes
- In a lesson
- Introduction / Warm-up, Skill Development 1
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Push and glide practice in clear lanes; head-first entries only where depth and pool rules allow.
What it develops
- Hold a tight, streamlined body shape
- Streamlined entry with hands locked
How to run it
- On poolside, place one hand flat on top of the other with the thumbs locked or the top hand gripping the bottom hand.
- Lift the arms above the head so the ears are squeezed between the upper arms.
- In the water, push and glide with the grab, keeping the hands locked for the whole glide.
- Use the grab for every head-first entry from now on.
Teaching cues
- Flat hands, palms to the water.
- Squeeze your ears.
- Hands never come apart.
Make it easier
- Stack the hands with thumbs crossed.
Make it harder
- Hold the grab through a feet-first jump with arms above the head.
Common faults
- Hands side by side.
- Arms bent in front of the face.
Corrections
- 'One hand is a lid on the other.'
- 'Arms straight behind your ears.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Check each swimmer's hand grab on poolside before they get in, adjusting by demonstration rather than by moving their hands.