Front Glide: Progressions

What it is

A progression for teaching the front glide that moves at the swimmer's comfort, gradually adjusting support from full-support glides to longer glides done alone.

Essentials

• Instructor MUST NOT MOVE once the swimmer initiates an unsupported glide, regardless of distance.
• Catch the swimmer first, then walk backwards.
• Support is based on the swimmer's ability to remain calm; do what they want.
• Never move once they start.
• Gradually adjust support; push the swimmer to do things alone.
• Staying put earns trust!

Progression

1. Full-support glides → ½ alone / ½ supported.
2. Start with holding the swimmer and aiming them at the wall; let them fall to the wall with their feet on your knees.
3. Grow and increase the distance.
4. Small brave attempts → longer glides alone. Let the swimmer reach for your shoulder, the wall, or another bench.
5. When they can stretch and reach about their body length, take 1 step back.
6. Let them fall forward and PUSH with their feet to your shoulders/arms.
7. As mastery grows, start further away.

What goes wrong

• Instructor moves once the swimmer starts. Correction: MUST NOT MOVE. Be where they last saw you; they are blind, underwater, and alone.
• Moving too fast for the swimmer. Correction: move at the swimmer's comfort; gradually adjust support.
• Not catching the swimmer. Correction: catch the swimmer first, then walk backwards.

How you know it worked

The swimmer can stretch and reach about their body length in a front glide alone, and you can begin starting further away as mastery grows.

How you teach it

The entire progression is built on one principle: the instructor stays put. Once the swimmer initiates an unsupported glide—regardless of how short the distance—the instructor does not move. The swimmer is blind, underwater, and alone; they are desperate for your support, and providing it by remaining exactly where they last saw you is what builds and earns trust. Swimmers thrive when they learn that the instructor is a fixed, reliable point in the water.

Support is calibrated to the swimmer's ability to remain calm, not to a preset distance. Do what they want. If they need full support, give full support. If they can manage half alone, meet them there. The stretch (push) is always small: ask for a very small distance further than normal without support, then let them recover. The transition to independent attempts is paved with many, many, many opportunities to do a front glide alone before you expect a longer one.

The physical sequence at the pool edge: hold the swimmer, aim them at the wall, let them fall with feet on your knees. As they gain confidence, let them reach for your shoulder, the wall, or another bench. When they can stretch to about body length, take one step back. Let them fall forward and push off your shoulders or arms. As mastery grows, start further away. Each step is a small brave attempt that builds toward longer glides alone.

The cue "instructor MUST NOT MOVE" is absolute. It is not a suggestion or a guideline for experienced swimmers; it applies at every stage of the progression. The only time the instructor repositions is before the swimmer starts the glide (catching them, walking backwards after the catch). Once the glide is underway, the body stays.