I am a member of the Amazon Associates Program and I will earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. 

Teaching Front Crawl Timing and Coordination

Need a lesson plan for teaching front crawl timing and coordination?  Check out some drills and exercises that will help your pupils get their arm pulls synched up with their leg kicks and everything else moving at the right time and pace. 

Scroll down and check out what you need...

Lesson 5: Timing

Aim: to introduce a basic front crawl timing pattern

Equipment: floaters or kickboards, buoyancy aids and sinkers as needed

Exercise/Activity                                                                                

Entry:  swivel entry

Warm up:  2 widths any stroke on the front

1. push and glide from the poolside 

2. push and glide holding a float, adding leg kicks

3. Alternate arm pulls holding a float in front

4. Front crawl 'catch up'

5. Push and glide adding kicks, then arm pulls

6. full stroke front crawl

Contrasting activity:

supine star floats  

submerge to collect sinkers

Exit:

using the pool steps or over the pool side

Teaching Point                         

enter slowly

take your time

hands and feet together

count kicks '1,2,3,4,5,6'

count '1,2,3' each pull

continuous leg kicks

count your kicks  

continuous arms and legs


look up at the sky

deep breath and relax


take your time

Lesson 5: Timing and Coordination

Swimming lesson plans for teaching front crawl timing and coordination to beginners

Key parts to look out for:

  • Smooth and continuous arm pulls, without pause
  • Relaxed and continuous leg kicks

Common mistakes:

  • One leg kick per arm pull (although a 'one beat cycle' is common in some adult beginners)
  • Continuous leg kick but not enough arm pulls
  • Arm pulls are too irregular

Teaching front crawl timing is not the whole picture...

The timing and coordination of front crawl often falls into place naturally. However, when it doesn't and your pupils are finding things tricky, it is often another part of the stroke that is causing the issue.

The rest of font crawl technique needs to be taught effectively too.  My very popular book 'How To Teach Front Crawl' contains all of the lesson plans and assessment tools you will need to make your front crawl lessons awesome.  Teaching front crawl technique could not be easier!

Lesson plans, assessment tools and a whole load more...

Grab a copy of my popular book 'How To Teach Front Crawl' and plan your swimming lessons to get the best out of your swimmers. (click here for an instant preview)


How to teach front crawl ebook containing basic drills and lessons plans.Click the cover image to PREVIEW


From basic technique drills, to advanced lesson plans and assessment tools - get the swimming teacher's definitive guide to teaching front crawl. 

Click the cover image to preview, or add to cart to download my book today.

Click here for more information about my book. 



I am a member of the Amazon Associates Program and I will earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. 



Buy a printed copy from Amazon. 
buy from Amazon UK
buy from Amazon

Discover The Other Front Crawl Plans

Swimming lesson plans for teaching front crawl body position

Body Position

Swimming lesson plans for teaching front crawl leg kick

Legs

Swimming lesson plans for teaching front crawl arm pull technique

Arms

Swimming lesson plans for teaching front crawl breathing technique

Breathing

Swimming lesson plans for teaching front crawl timing and coordination

Timing