Stroke Efficiency – swimming activities

Travelling further per stroke with less effort; stroke count awareness.

Activities

• Bend and Push – The backstroke underwater arm bends and then pushes the water down to the thigh – a stronger, safer catch than a straight-arm sweep.
• Fingertip Drag – Fingertips trail along the surface during the recovery – encourages a relaxed, high-elbow recovery close to the body.
• 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.
• Glide Count Ladder – Breaststroke with a counted glide – 3, then 2, then 1 – so swimmers find a glide that is long enough but not too long.
• 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.
• Over the Barrel – Swimmers imagine reaching over a barrel under the water – a simple image for an early, high-elbow catch.
• Plan Your Own Set – Swimmers plan a short set of their own – warm-up, drill, swim, easy – using the pace clock, preparing them for fitness or club swimming.
• Pull Buoy Knees – A pull buoy held lightly between the knees during breaststroke kick – stops the knees splaying and focuses power in the feet.
• Snap Finish – Swimmers finish the breaststroke kick by snapping the feet together – adds power at the end of the kick and a tidy streamline.
• Spear Entry – Hands enter fingertips-first in front of the shoulder, then extend forward under the water – fixes slapping and overreaching.
• 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.
• Wall Approach – Swimmers learn to judge the wall using the T on the pool floor and stroke counting – safer, more confident turns.