Technique falls apart over distance

Good technique over a width, but the stroke shortens and the kick fades over longer swims.

Activities that help

• Fist Swimming – Swim front crawl with closed fists, then open hands – swimmers feel how much the forearm helps pull.
• Five Good Strokes – Quality over distance: swimmers build to five butterfly strokes with good rhythm, stopping as soon as technique breaks.
• Focus Point Swim – Each length has one focus – head, kick, reach, breathing – so swimmers practise thinking about their own technique.
• Hold the Count – Swimmers find their stroke count for a length, then try to hold it within one stroke over a longer swim – technique under tiredness.
• Stroke Clinic – Swimmers identify their own main fault (with a partner or the teacher) and choose a drill from a menu to fix it.
• Stroke Count Challenge – Swimmers count strokes per width, then try to take fewer while keeping the same effort – rewards efficiency, not speed.
• Stroke Detective – Pairs take turns as 'detectives' watching a partner swim with a simple checklist, then give one clue to improve.
• Swim Passport – A personal distance log: each lesson swimmers add continuous distance while keeping a technique 'stamp' – distance with quality.
• Technique Checkpoints – A longer continuous swim with technique checks at each wall – swimmers learn to keep form as distance increases.