Artistic swimming: poor extension

Bent knees, flexed feet or a dropped head spoil the body line.

Activities that help

• Back Layout Hold – The basic artistic swimming position: body straight on the surface, face, chest, thighs and toes at the surface, held with a support scull.
• Bent-Knee Lift Preparation – From a back layout, slide one foot up the other leg to a bent knee and hold it – the preparation for leg lifts, kept firmly at introductory level.
• Wall-Supported Leg Extension – With the hands holding the wall behind, swimmers lift one extended leg towards vertical from a back layout – an introductory, supported version of a leg-lift position.