Front crawl lesson plans and teaching progressions
Front crawl (freestyle) is the stroke most often taught badly, because teachers start with the arms. The stroke is built from the water up: body position, then legs, then arms, then breathing, and only then the full stroke. This guide gives the progression and the teaching points that matter at each step.
The front crawl progression
- Body position — flat, streamlined, eyes down, hips at the surface
- Leg action — long legs from the hip, small fast kick, relaxed ankles
- Arm action — continuous alternating action, entry in front of the shoulder
- Breathing — exhale underwater, turn the head to the side, one goggle in the water
- Timing — six-beat feel, arms and legs continuous, no pause
- Full stroke — short distance first, then extend without losing shape
Diagnosing the real problem
- Legs sinking → head too high, chin tucked or eyes forward
- Lifting the head to breathe → not exhaling underwater
- Stroke stops when breathing → head lifted instead of rotated
- Crossover entry → arm recovering too flat, thumb-first entry
- Bicycle kick → kicking from the knee, ankles rigid
- Running out of breath in 10 m → breath holding, not fitness
Useful equipment (and when not to use it)
Kickboards isolate the leg action but raise the shoulders, so use them sparingly if body position is the limiting factor. Fins can help a swimmer feel a fast, long-legged kick. Hand paddles are for swimmers who already have a stable catch — not for beginners.
SwimWise AI blocks equipment combinations that harm technique and gives a reason, so a plan never hands you a tool that undermines the skill you are teaching.
Frequently asked questions
At what stage should full front crawl be taught?
Recognisable front crawl action typically appears around Swim England Stage 3 or Red Cross Level 3, with side breathing introduced at Stage 4 / Level 3–4. Before that, focus on body position, gliding and kicking.
How do I fix breathing in front crawl?
Almost always by fixing exhalation first. Rehearse a continuous bubble exhale on the wall, then rotate rather than lift the head, keeping one goggle in the water.
Plan this lesson in under a minute
Choose your framework, stage, stroke focus and the problem you are seeing. SwimWise AI builds a structured plan with warm-up, timed activities, teaching points, progressions, regressions and adaptations — with a teaching reason behind every activity.
More lesson planning guides
How to build free, structured swim lesson plans that follow a real teaching progression.
Water confidence first: how to plan the earliest stages without rushing into full strokes.
Kick before arms, and why fins have no place in breaststroke technique work.
Stage-by-stage outcomes for the Swim England Learn to Swim Framework and how to plan to them.