What it is
Streamline for three body lengths on front and back (back in soldier position), with or without kicking. Body posture is of utmost importance.
Essentials
- Lock your thumb
- Squeeze your ears
- Look down (front) / look up (back)
- Streamline and swimming are two distinct events; the streamline comes first
- Long, tight body line from fingers to toes
- Backstroke streamline can be done in soldier position
Progression
- Streamline 3 body lengths, face in water, glide (start close, get farther)
- Streamline and then front crawl arms for 5 body lengths (total)
- Streamline or soldier on back, then back crawl arms for 5 body lengths (total)
- Introduced to fly kick
What goes wrong
- Lifting the head up: often caused by lack of specific feedback; correct by cueing "look down" — avoid not looking
- Wrong support: avoid support once the swimmer can streamline alone; pull on the head for back glides, hold the hands for front/streamline glides
- Non-feedback words ("Good job," "good") that fail to target a specific cue and allow bad habits to form
- Jumping UP instead of pushing forward — vertical instead of horizontal motion
- Waiting for the instructor to say "go" — cue "keep belly button moving, don't wait for me to tell you when to go"
How you know it worked
Swimmer holds a long, tight body line for three body lengths with face in water (front) or in soldier position (back), without support, and can transition to arm strokes for 5 body lengths total.
How you teach it
Streamline and swimming are two distinct events; the streamline always comes first. Spend significant time on streamlines, glides, position 11, and holding a long, tight body posture. Once swimmers have mastered a wonderful long line from fingers to toes, begin adding kicks, then arms. Do over 30 glides each lesson for Level 2 — repetition builds confidence, grows trust, and demonstrates how swimmers can cross gaps without standing. Goal is comfortable glides; focus on head position and long stretching limbs.
Break up the streamlines with challenges. Keep swimmers moving with the rotation method, waves, and constant motion between benches or from wall to bench. Help and assist when needed, and make gliding fun. Be loud, fun, talk a lot. Start close, and get farther.
Feedback must be targeted and specific, progressing in specificity: "Well done on kicking, remember to look down too" → "You kept kicking well, and you looked down, but now you forgot to lock your thumb" → "Well done on all 3, Johnny!" Avoid non-feedback words like "Good job" or "good." Level 2 should be full of performance, language, and feedback on streamline and glide performance.
Instructors should be underwater to the shoulders throughout the lesson. Their hair should get wet because they've demonstrated streamline, front crawl, back crawl, soldier, and streamline on back. Demonstrate.
For the arm strokes that follow the streamline: arm circles and over-water recovery, no fancy hands. Pushing the water, no fancy S curves. For the fly kick introduction: hips drive the fly kick motion. Use soldier position, lazy puppet, and position 11 as reference shapes for the three things to work on in position 11. Avoid jumping UP; instead push forward towards the other bench — horizontal motion. Keep them moving; repetition is your friend.