What this swimming skill is
When most people start swimming, they lift the head to see where they are going. The legs sink, and swimming feels like pushing a sofa up a hill. This skill is about lying level, like a plank floating on the surface, so the water holds your child up.
It comes after your child can float on their front and glide from the wall. Once staying level feels natural, the next step is learning to roll gently from side to side as the arms turn over.
Why it matters
Less tiring.
A level body slips through the water. A tilted one drags, and your child has to work much harder to go the same distance.
Breathing gets easier.
When the face rests calmly in the water, turning to breathe is a small, easy movement instead of a struggle.
Trusting the water.
Feeling the water hold them up is a big moment. Children who feel it tend to relax, and everything else gets easier.
A base for every stroke.
The same level position shows up in backstroke and breaststroke too, so this work pays off well beyond front crawl.
Who it is for
This skill suits children, teens and adults who can float on their front, push off from the wall, and are starting front crawl. Younger children learn it through games, like gliding as a superhero. Older children and teens who already swim often have the head up and the legs low, so this is where lessons begin. If you are learning as an adult, or coming back to swimming, this is usually the first thing your instructor looks at. For older adults or anyone less flexible, your instructor finds a level position that is also comfortable.
