Front crawl: lifts head forwards to breathe

Lifts the head to the front to breathe, so the hips and legs drop and the stroke stalls.

Activities that help

• Kick and Breathe Sideways – Kicking with a float, swimmers turn the head to the side to breathe instead of lifting it – the first step to front crawl breathing.
• One Goggle In – Holding the wall, swimmers turn to breathe with one goggle staying in the water – fixes lifting the head forwards.
• Side Kick Breathing – Kicking on the side with one arm extended; the face rolls down and back to the side – the easiest way to learn to breathe without lifting.
• Single-Arm Front Crawl – One arm works while the other stays extended in front – isolates the arm action and breathing to the working side.
• Spy on the Side – Swimmers 'spy' on the teacher walking alongside by turning to breathe – a game that fixes lifting the head forwards.