Step #1 is The Approach – how to position your body for the fastest turn possible.  Dave wants to hit the wall with his arms extended, and his energy moving forward.  The more momentum he carries into the wall, the faster his turn and pushoff will be.  Speed in…equals speed out.  So Dave starts planning his approach at the flags.  He knows how many strokes it takes to reach the wall, and he adjusts his strokes so that he lands fully extended, at maximum speed.  

When Dave approaches the wall, he thinks about his eyes.  Notice how he keeps them focused on the bottom of the pool, even after he touches the wall.  And notice that he touches with both hands, which is the rule in breaststroke and butterfly.  Dave uses the cross on the bottom of the pool to tell him where the wall is.  

**COMMON ERRORS**
This swimmer is approaching the wall with his head up, and hips down, causing him to lose valuable momentum going into the wall. 

Make sure you look directly down…and press in enough so that your head is nearly covered and your hips are near the surface.  Notice how this position looks similar to Dave’s position as he approaches the wall for his turn.

We’ll begin each step by lying face down, with both hands on the wall.


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Step #1 - The Approach