What it is
A Level 4 testable skill: front crawl 20 meters with bilateral breaths. The swimmer breathes to the side on front crawl, looks down without looking forward, and continues swimming while maintaining a long, straight body line.
Essentials
- Head down when not breathing; head turns to side during arm stroke.
- No interruption of arms and kick when breathing.
- Kick remains steady; rumble kick continues through arms and breaths.
- Body rotates with arm strokes no more than 45°; hips swing with arm stroke to pull water using torso.
- Arms return to position 11, not X.
- Hands catch water early.
Progression
- Short-distance skill reps: 3 × SL + 5 Free + 1 breath + flip, or 3 × SL + 3 HLBwR (high-low bilateral with rotation).
- Longer-distance application of the just-practiced skill: e.g., 4 × 25 odd front / even back, focusing on rotating hips 45° to surface.
- Full 20-meter front crawl with bilateral breaths as the testable skill.
What goes wrong
- Head up between breaths → cue head down; head turns to side only during the arm stroke.
- Arms cross into an X on recovery → cue arms return to position 11, not X.
- Late catch → cue hands catch water early.
- Kick or arms stall during the breath → cue no interruption; rumble kick continues through arms and breaths.
- Over-rotation beyond 45° → cue body rotates with arm strokes no more than 45°.
How you know it worked
Swimmer breathes to the side on front crawl, looks down without looking forward, and continues swimming 20 meters while maintaining a long, straight body line.
How you teach it
Use short distances for maximum learning. Even though swimmers can swim longer, avoid only doing long swims. Build skills with the 3 × [skill] format, then apply the skill in a longer set. Removing distance, removing breathing, and removing movement allows better focus and skill acquisition. The side breath must be timed to the arm stroke, not a lift of the head—watch that the swimmer looks down without looking forward between breaths.
Instructors should know front crawl bilateral (both sides) breathing, hip rotation, head position, early catch, elbows higher than hands on recovery, and returning to position 11. Start every stroke in position 11; cue "long reaches to 11." Focus on the most important element first: body position, then motion of arms rather than "swimming." Be dynamic—high reps, change it up, keep swimmers moving. Get in the water when necessary to demonstrate. Avoid placing novice instructors at Level 4; experienced instructors are best. Give feedback specific to the participant's actions; lazy feedback leads to poor form. Do not let instructors deviate from the set format. Supervisors should watch for distracted instructors who space out, check phones, or talk to other instructors instead of engaging with swimmers—pay attention, give feedback, stay engaged with the class.