Underwater Pull-down
The child pushes off from the pool wall and glides with the arms stretched forward to a depth of about 0.5 meters. The elbows then bend so the hands can press the water backward. From this position the arms are pulled back and the water is pushed away. At the same time, a dolphin kick is performed. The arms are then brought back forward close to the body. Simultaneously, the child performs a breaststroke kick. With this so-called underwater pull-down, the child swims at least 15 meters.
Preparation Exercises
Dry-land Pull-down Exercise
Before going into the water, you should learn the arm pull on dry land. Demonstrate the exercise to your child. Start standing upright with your arms stretched upward, the hands resting one on top of the other. Then the elbows are pushed slightly outward to the sides and the forearms are angled so that the palm faces the floor. In this elbows-forward position the elbows should ideally not lose any height. Then pull the whole arm downward, as if pushing the water away. The elbows move toward the body once they are lower than the shoulders. As soon as the elbows have reached the body above the hips, the forearms are pushed backward by the triceps. The explanation is relatively complicated. It is best to watch the video and try to copy the arm pull on dry land as faithfully as possible.
Breaststroke Kick Underwater
In this exercise, you dive for at least 25 metres using only the breaststroke kick. The arms are stretched forward and the hands rest one on top of the other. This exercise trains the second part of the pull-down.
Body Wave
15 metres of body wave with the arms resting at the sides of the body. The movement is controlled with the head and the upper body. The drive comes from the hips and the legs stay together throughout the entire exercise.
