Screw Freestyle
Perform three backstroke arm strokes followed by three freestyle arm strokes over a distance of at least 15 meters, breathing exclusively while on your back. Rotate during every third stroke: as the third freestyle arm stroke enters the water, initiate a body rotation so that the stroke begins as freestyle and ends as backstroke. This exercise enhances coordination for freestyle swimming and improves shoulder rotation.
Preparation Exercises
Freestyle kick
The child swims 25 meters using the freestyle kick with arms resting along their sides, breathing forward as an exception. This exercise focuses on building strength and endurance for the freestyle kick. The kick is crucial for longer distances as it provides stability and rhythm to the swimming technique.
Freestyle carousel
In this exercise, you don't just turn every third arm movement, but every arm movement. You also breathe on your back each time. The exercise helps with correct coordination, as a turn is made with each arm stroke and there is therefore no possibility of turning at an inappropriate time. It is also a fun challenge for the children and promotes their stability in the water.
Push off and five freestyle strokes
The child pushes off the edge of the pool and remains stretched for one to two seconds. This is followed by five curl-ups with alternating legs. The child does not breathe. The arms can be stretched or slightly bent. This exercise transfers the coordination of the arms from the windmill exercise into the water. Breathing is deliberately omitted as the child is not yet breathing in a coordinated manner on the side.
Häufige Fehler
Incorrectly coordinated rotation
The rotation during freestyle swimming occurs with the third arm stroke. The body rotates from the shoulder, so that the underwater phase of the freestyle arm stroke transitions midway into the end of the backstroke arm pull. Occasionally, some children bring both arms either backward or forward and attempt to rotate without an arm stroke. Clear communication usually helps address this issue. If you are a confident swimmer yourself, you can demonstrate the proper technique or show the child a video, emphasizing the rotation in conjunction with the arm stroke.
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Chin and hips down
The back rotation is prone to errors, especially when the face briefly submerges during the turn onto the back. The correct response is to stretch the body, tilt the chin back (gaze at the ceiling), and kick the legs vigorously to return to the surface. A common mistake is trying to sit up, which pulls the hips and chin down. This error is sometimes addressed by placing the hands at the sides, but the core exercise requires fully extended arms to prevent the body from sitting up.
