Name

Do the Twist

Core Skill

Freestyle hip rotation

Who

Level 4 swimmers who can swim freestyle for at least 25 yards

What

A game that uses in-water mirrors to help swimmers practice and compare different ways of rotating their hips while swimming freestyle

Want some in-water mirrors for your program? We use these: https://amzn.to/3MZYNXV

How

• Place the in-water mirrors on the bottom of the lane/pool, just far enough from the wall to catch the end of the streamline
• Swimmers push off the wall in streamline, then swim freestyle for 3 – 5 strokes
• As they pass over the mirrors near the T mark, the swimmer should wiggle their hips quickly, seeing how they move disconnected to the arm strokes
• Swimmers then take another turn, this time locking their hips to their arm strokes; when the right arm pulls water, the right hip rotates towards the surface, and vice versa
• Swimmers take a third turn where they wiggle their hips as fast as possible, looking at themselves in the mirror, then after the mirrors they do 3 more freestyle strokes locking their hips to their arm strokes to feel the difference between disconnected and connected hips when swimming front crawl
• Repeat the game as many times as desired, or until the swimmers show improvement in their hip rotation

Difficulties instructors may face

• Some swimmers may have trouble seeing themselves in the mirror, especially if the water is cloudy or the mirror is dirty
• Some swimmers may not be able to wiggle their hips fast enough, or may lose their balance or coordination while doing so
• Some swimmers may not be able to feel the difference between disconnected and connected hips, or may not understand why it is important for freestyle efficiency
• Some swimmers may get bored or distracted by the game, or may not take it seriously