6-3-6 Switch
Kick six times on your side, swim three freestyle strokes to roll onto the other side, then kick six more. It teaches the side-to-side roll of freestyle.
rotation · No equipment · In Roll Cleanly, Easy Breath
Why it works: Chapter 34, What does a long swim stroke need from your body?
The one cue
Roll, don't roll over
How to do it
- 1
Six kicks on your side
Start from a float or a glide and roll onto your side. Bottom arm reaches forward, top arm lies along your body, top shoulder out of the water. Face down, ear on your front arm. Six easy kicks, three with each leg.
- 2
Breathe on the side
At the end of the kicks, turn your head towards your top shoulder, breathe in, and put your face back down. No breath during the three strokes: breathe out slowly through your nose while you swim them. Take an extra breath on the side whenever you need one, never by lifting your head forward.
- 3
Three strokes across
Swim three arm strokes, one arm at a time: front arm, top arm, front arm. On the first, the front arm pulls back while the top arm swings over the water to the front. The third leaves you on your other side. Six kicks there, then three strokes back.
- 4
Roll, don't roll over
Every stroke rolls you towards the other side. Turn as one piece, shoulders and hips together. Your shoulder breaks the surface on each stroke; going further tips you onto your back.
- 5
The test
On the new side, you hold still and balanced for the six kicks, without the front hand pressing down to hold you up. When the watch buzzes at 30 seconds, stop where you are.
Watch for
- Swimming the three strokes flat. You learn to balance on each side but not the roll between them.
- Rolling past your side onto your back. You tip off balance and stall.
- The front hand pressing down to hold you up. It pushes water down instead of back, and your legs sink.
- Lifting your head to breathe. Your hips sink and the side position is gone.