Swimming – Stage 10 swimming activities

Confident, efficient all-round swimmers: technique held over longer swims on all four strokes, individual medley order and changeover turns, starts, turns and finishes as part of a swim, controlled pace and personal challenges. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.

Swimming · 42 activities.

Outcomes

Front crawl technique held over longer distances
Backstroke technique held over distance
Breaststroke technique held over distance
Butterfly with consistent rhythm and breathing
Link strokes in individual medley order
Starts, turns and finishes as part of a swim
Plan and control pace for a longer swim
Set and review personal technique challenges

Activities

Backstroke Flip Turn – Backstroke turn: count strokes from the flags, roll onto the front, one stroke, then a forward roll and push off on the back.
Backstroke Start – An in-water backstroke start: hold the wall, feet on the wall, then push back over the water into a streamlined glide.
Breakout Timing – Swimmers practise the moment to take the first stroke after a push-off, so speed carries straight into swimming.
Breaststroke Length Check – Count strokes on the first and last length of a longer breaststroke swim – if the count rises a lot, the glide or kick is fading.
Breaststroke Pull-Out – After the push-off: one long arm pull to the thighs, one kick, then surface into the stroke – a short, streamlined underwater phase.
Butterfly Breathe Every Two – Alternate a breathing stroke with a non-breathing stroke so the breath stops disrupting the butterfly rhythm.
Butterfly Quality Ladder – Swim 3, 5, then 7 strokes of butterfly, moving up only when the strokes still look good – quality over quantity.
Continuous Mixed-Stroke Swim – A steady continuous swim changing stroke every length or width, building distance while each stroke stays recognisable.
Cool-Down Float and Stretch – A calm finish: easy swim, gentle floating and simple stretches in the water, with a quick recap of the lesson aim.
Easy Choice Swim – Easy continuous swimming on a stroke of the swimmer's choice – a warm-up or calm finish that builds distance without pressure.
Easy, Steady, Strong – Swim the same distance at three effort levels and learn what each feels like – easy, steady and strong (never all-out) – so swimmers can choose a pace on purpose.
Elbow Over Fingers – Builds an early, bent-elbow catch: the elbow stays high while the hand and forearm tip down to press water back, first standing, then swimming.
Even or Faster Second Half – Swim a distance so the second half is the same pace or a little quicker than the first – a gentle introduction to controlling pace without racing.
Every-Stroke Turn Circuit – A rotating circuit of the turn for each stroke – touch turns for breaststroke and butterfly, tumble for front crawl, backstroke turn with flags – so every wall is practised.
Finish on a Full Stroke – Practise arriving at the wall at full stretch – no gliding in, no tiny extra stroke – with the right touch for each stroke.
Five Kicks Off the Wall – After every push-off, swimmers take a set number of small dolphin or flutter kicks in streamline before breaking out – controlled underwater skill, never a breath-holding test.
Focus Point Swim – Each length has one focus – head, kick, reach, breathing – so swimmers practise thinking about their own technique.
Front Crawl Sighting – Lift the eyes just above the surface to spot a target every few strokes, then turn to breathe – keeping front crawl smooth while navigating, a useful skill for open water awareness.
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.
Individual Medley Changeover Turns – Practise the three changeovers of the individual medley – butterfly to backstroke, backstroke to breaststroke and breaststroke to front crawl – one at a time.
Kick Rhythm Choices – Explore a steady six-beat kick and a relaxed two-beat kick in front crawl, then choose the rhythm that suits a longer swim.
Medley Mix – Swimmers swim the four strokes in medley order with the right turn between each – changing strokes cleanly and in control.
Medley Order Relay – Small teams swim a relay in medley order, scored on correct order, legal-style touches and technique rather than who finishes first.
Pace Clock Lengths – Learn to read the pace clock: leave on the top, note the time at the end, and use it to swim repeats at an even pace.
Pace Prediction – Swimmers predict their time for a distance, then try to swim exactly that time – pace awareness rather than flat-out effort.
Personal Technique Goal Card – Each swimmer picks one technique goal, swims a short test, practises with a chosen drill, and re-tests – owning their own improvement.
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.
Standing Dive – A streamlined standing dive from the side: bend, swing or reach, push out and enter through one hole.
Start Into Stroke – Links a taught start to the swim: entry, streamline, kick, breakout and the first strokes all in one smooth sequence.
Steady Backstroke Lengths – Longer backstroke swims with three checkpoints – head, hips and arm rhythm – called by a partner, so technique holds as distance grows.
Streamline Off Every Wall – During normal swimming, every push-off becomes a streamline check – partners score walls, so streamlining becomes a habit, not a drill.
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 Sampler Warm-Up – An easy warm-up of one width of each stroke with a single focus each – loosens up and lets the teacher see everyone's strokes.
Swim Golf – Strokes plus seconds for a width or length makes a 'golf score' – lower is better – so swimmers balance stroke length and speed.
Technique Checkpoints – A longer continuous swim with technique checks at each wall – swimmers learn to keep form as distance increases.
Technique Hold Repeats – Short repeats with one technique focus each, building to a longer swim that keeps every focus – technique first, distance second.
Tempo and Count Ladder – Swim widths at three tempos – slow, medium, brisk – counting strokes each time, to discover the most efficient balance between stroke rate and stroke length.
Three-Stroke Breathing Ladder – A step-by-step route to comfortable breathing to both sides: breathe every two, then mix in every three, then every three for a whole length.
Tumble Turn Approach Count – Swimmers find how many strokes they take from the T-mark to the wall, so tumble turns start at the right distance every time.
Two Stars and a Wish Cool-Down – An easy cool-down swim followed by each swimmer naming two things that went well and one thing to work on next time.
Two-Hand Touch Turn – The breaststroke and butterfly turn: both hands touch together, one elbow drops back, turn, push off in a streamline.
Wall Approach – Swimmers learn to judge the wall using the T on the pool floor and stroke counting – safer, more confident turns.