What it is
Push off in streamline or soldier position on your back, then swim back crawl arms for 5 body lengths. A Level 2 testable skill, performed repeatedly during a lesson without instructor help.
Essentials
- Streamline on back is the ultimate goal, but soldier position is entirely acceptable, especially for younger swimmers.
- Body stays near the surface, flat and straight.
- Kicks: knees low in the water, not bending too much.
- Arms go straight up to the ceiling, pushing water naturally without straining the shoulders.
- Streamline and swimming are two distinct events — the streamline comes first, then the arms take over.
- No fancy hands; arm circles and over-water recovery. Push the water; no fancy S-curves.
Progression
- Supported back float / glide (on a parent's shoulder or with gradual support for advanced babies).
- Lots of kicking on the back with floaties (kickboards, barbells, lifejackets) to build comfort.
- Push off near the surface with support, following back-glide and float scripts.
- Push off in soldier and glide, or in streamline and glide, independently.
- Push off in streamline (or soldier) then swim back crawl arms for 5 body lengths — start close, get farther.
What goes wrong
- Younger swimmers cannot hold streamline on their back → allow soldier position; it is entirely okay to test beginners in soldier.
- Knees bend too much in the kick → cue knees low in the water.
- Shoulders strain from over-reaching → arms stay straight up to the ceiling, pushing water naturally.
- Swimmer adds fancy hand shapes or S-curves → keep it to arm circles and over-water recovery, pushing the water.
- Swimmer waits for the instructor to say "go" → keep the belly button moving; don't wait to be told.
How you know it worked
The swimmer pushes off in streamline or soldier on their back and swims back crawl arms for 5 body lengths, done repeatedly during a lesson without the instructor's help.
How you teach it
Streamline on the back is the hardest position for young swimmers, so the instructor's first job is to lower the entry barrier: soldier position is not a compromise, it is the correct starting point. The instructor should be in the water to the shoulders for the entire lesson, demonstrating streamline, back crawl, and soldier so the swimmer sees the shape before being asked to produce it. Benches remain in play while swimmers are still learning independent gliding; the pattern is to start close to the next bench and gradually increase the distance. The tone should be loud, fun, and chatty — repetition is the engine, and the swimmer should keep the belly button moving rather than pausing for a cue. Feedback should be specific and progressive: first isolate one element ("Well done on kicking, remember to keep your body flat too"), then add a second ("You kept kicking well and your body stayed flat, but now check that your arms are going up to the ceiling"), then close with a clean all-three affirmation. Level 2 should be filled with horizontal motion; the instructor's silence is the enemy, and non-specific praise ("Good job") is a supervisory red flag. The push-off itself is a bonus goal layered on top: push off underwater, immediately move into streamline, then start swimming, with the body flat and legs kicking throughout. If a swimmer is still in the supported-float stage, the instructor's calm sets the swimmer's calm — lean in, keep the voice low, and let the gradual-release sequence (head on shoulder → support body → support head only) do the work before any arm movement is introduced.