3 things for Streamline

3 things for Streamline (cue_set)

Definition: The three elements of a good streamline (SL): lock your thumb, squeeze your ears, and look down. Focus all feedback on the 3 things to a good streamline.

Core cues:

1. "Lock your thumb"
2. "Stack the hands and wrap the top hand's thumb around the bottom hand's palm."
3. "Wrap the top thumb around the palm"
4. "Squeeze your ears"
5. "squeeze your ears" or just press on your head with ears or arms.
6. "Look down"
7. "Tell swimmers to be Pinocchio and drag their long lying noses on the ground."

Coach interpretation:

• Lock your thumb: Lock in the thumb and press into the thumb to make the ear squeeze easier. Make sure this is a tight, strong, locked hand on top of hand.
• Squeeze your ears: At first talk about squeezing your ears with your elbows. Younger people think in relate-able targets: elbows squeeze the ears. As mastery grows change this to "squeeze the back of the head with your elbows." Target word: ears. Goal: just behind the ears.
• Look down: The head should be aiming at the floor during most streamlines. Put mirrors on the bottom of the pool to encourage swimmers to aim their face at the bottom. Most incorrect SL body position is because swimmers want to see where they're going. *Backstroke SL is "Look up." Aim the face down; avoid looking forward.

Teaching strategy:

Repeat the 3 things to a good streamline over & over & over. Speak in "streamlines:" "Do a streamline first, then do 3 free". Practice on land, standing, laying, and floating. Help swimmers by squeezing their elbows together. Focus feedback on the three elements of SL. Comfort in SL comes with a LOT of practice. Your goal is to make the swimmers feel "weird" if they forget to do a streamline. They should have such an ingrained habit of always streamlining well that whenever they push off the wall without a good streamline it should feel "weird." The shorthand of "streamline" is SL. This shows up often. SL = streamline.

Common errors and corrections:

• Forgetting to do a streamline: Make the swimmers feel "weird" if they forget to do a streamline. They should have such an ingrained habit of always streamlining well that whenever they push off the wall without a good streamline it should feel "weird."
• Incorrect SL body position: Most incorrect SL body position is because swimmers want to see where they're going. Tell swimmers to be Pinocchio and drag their long lying noses on the ground. Put mirrors on the bottom of the pool to encourage swimmers to aim their face at the bottom.

Progression:

Before: Streamline. After: Look down. Backstroke SL is "Look up."

Short verified cues (confirmed present; check by eye): “Lock your thumb”, “Squeeze your ears”, “Look down”, “SL = streamline.”