Supported Front Glides (skill)
Definition: Supported front glides are used as the next step in the incremental progression of skills. Your goal for supported front glides is to establish a good body posture, line, and balance at the surface so learners can adjust their head and arm position for better quality. They can be done with learners that go forward underwater and those that do not.
Core cues:
- Put your shoulders in the water.
- Reach your arms out to me.
- Put your face [chin, lips, nose] in the water.
- Push off [with, to] me.
Coach interpretation:
- Use the script every time: repeat the same cue language on every attempt.
- Every attempt is another opportunity to go underwater: treat each repetition as a chance to get the face in the water.
- Hands on shoulders: the swimmer puts their hands on the instructor's shoulders. Keep swimmer's arms straight and attempt to keep body straight. This support is usually used for swimmers that do not put their face in the water. Lift the belly or outside of hips to manipulate the swimmer's body into a straight line. The instructor should walk backwards to simulate movement and independent propulsion.
- Hands in hands: participant reaches forward in streamline with their face in the water. The instructor will hold the participant's hands with their own. Keep the swimmer's hands near the surface and pull to provide motion. Hold the swimmer at arms length. If needed, use other hand to support belly and body. The goal is to keep participant's arms straight, their face in the water, and their body relaxed, stretched, and floating on the surface while the instructor moves backwards.
- Short glide, then hand in hand: the Instructor stands a body length or two away from the swimmer and waits for them to glide to the instructor. Goal is for participant to glide with their face down, in the water keeping their body straight. Once participant gets to instructor, either support with hands on shoulders or hands supported on instructor's hand.
Teaching strategy:
Use the script every time. A supported front glide; hands on shoulders requires the instructor demonstrating and the learner trusting instructor, with the learner's arms reaching for instructor's shoulders. Repetition, repetition, repetition; many attempts — every attempt is another opportunity to go underwater. Progress through the 3 types of support: hands on shoulders, hands in hands, then short glide, then hand in hand.
Common errors and corrections:
- Swimmer's arms not straight: keep swimmer's arms straight and attempt to keep body straight.
- Body not straight: lift the belly or outside of hips to manipulate the swimmer's body into a straight line.
- Swimmer does not put their face in the water: use hands on shoulders support, which is usually used for swimmers that do not put their face in the water.
- Hands drifting below the surface: keep the swimmer's hands near the surface and pull to provide motion.
- Body tense or sinking: the goal is to keep participant's arms straight, their face in the water, and their body relaxed, stretched, and floating on the surface while the instructor moves backwards.
Progression:
All glides lead to streamline. A good streamline is the ultimate goal, after we've established comfort gliding with the face in the water. We use supported front glides as the next step in the incremental progression of skills. Streamline is the goal; front glides build to SL. Once the swimmer starts independent glide the progression continues toward independent glide across benches, or forward underwater.
Short verified cues (confirmed present; check by eye): “face in the water.”, “The script:”, “Push off [with, to] me.”, “3 types of support”, “Hands on shoulders”, “water.”, “propulsion.”, “Hands in hands”