Swimming Game – Do the Twist w/ Mirrors
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
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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
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