Freestyle Swim Stroke Drills
Balance With Extended Arms

This freestyle stroke drill teaches you balance when you lie flat on your stomach in the water with both arms extended in front of you. It is the same swimming drill as the balancing on your front drill, except for the extended arms.

This drill belongs to an older sequence of swimming drills to learn the freestyle stroke. Please consult the Learn How To Swim The Freestyle Stroke article to learn the current sequence of swimming drills.

Swimming Drill Video

Swimming Drill Instructions

• Lie flat on your stomach in the water.
• The head is aligned with the spine and the face is down.
• Extend your arms to the front, one hand on top of the other.
• Look straight down to the pool's bottom.
• Kick with a relaxed flutter kick.
• When you need to breathe, extend the chin until the mouth clears the water, and take a quick breath.
• Rebalance by pressing your chest and head down until your legs and hips come back up.

Swimming Drill Benefits

• When you practice this drill you will notice that you glide faster and easier than in the balancing on your front drill because your arms are now extended in front of you. This is the benefit of swimming with a longer body.
• Reinforces the habit of pressing the chest and head down in the water to make the hips and legs come up.