Milk Jug Drills to Teach Front Crawl

Beginning Swimming - PE 240abcd

Milk Jug Drills to Help Learn the Front Crawl

Beginning with drill #2, a fin on one foot makes it much easier to learn the primary lessons. Developing a good kick is not the primary object of this series, but having the power of the kick is vital to learning the rest of the material. Having a fin on only one foot allows you to stand easily in shallow water.

Practice each of the following drills on both sides of the body. This will help you learn to breath on both sides so that you can alternate breathe comfortably. This is an important for your safety and for developing a symmetrical stroke.

Step 1 Picture of holding milk jugs and lifting feet above water You must first learn to trust your milk jugs. Do not grab the handles tightly. Try to relax. Sink down until your chin is in the water, bend your elbows, and lift your feet off the bottom slightly. Learn to balance by lifting the feet up and replacing them several times. Stay low in the water. Try doing some sit-ups or some twists.

Step 2 Picture of kicking on stomach holding milk jugs in front Do the flutter kick on your stomach with the milk jugs held in front of you.

Step 3 Picture of kicking on your side with milk jugs Next, kick across the pool in a side-lying position. One jug in at your side and the other is in front of you. Press down only slightly on both jugs. Turn your head to the side so that your face is above water but the back of your head is in the water and your chin is at your shoulder. Put one ear in the water.

Step 4 Review the breathing rules for the Front Crawl.

Step 5 Picture of kicking on your side with milk jugs
Picture of kicking on stomach using milk jugs - one hand in front and one at side
Kick 4 times on your side and then rotate to your stomach and give 4 kicks before rotating back to your side. You will breathe in while kicking on your side and blow out during the entire time you are rotating to your stomach, kicking on your stomach, and rotating back to your side. Do not hold your breath! Do not lift your head to look forward as you rotate to your stomach. This is a common error and can cause water to go up your nose. Be sure to practice on both sides.

Step 6
Repeat Steps 3-5 above using only one milk jug. Hold the milk jug in the hand that is stretched out under your head. Place the other hand on your leg. Practice until you are comfortable and can breathe easily. As you improve you will no longer need to count your kicks. You'll turn to inhale when you need it and just kick on your side long enough to get a single quick breath.

Step 7 Picture of holding onto one milk jug and kicking on your side
Picture of using one milk jug and learning to roll from side to stomach
This next drill will add one arm pulling to your kicking, rolling, and breathing sequence in drill #5. Start with the hand on your leg and do 4 kicks. As you rotate, move the arm above water and place your hand on top of the milk jug. Once you have both hands in contact with the milk jug and you are on your stomach, do four kicks. Then pull the free hand off the milk jug, down towards the bottom of the pool, and back to your leg as you rotate onto your side once more. Keep your hand on your leg and kick four times. Repeat this sequence of 4 kicks on your side with your hand on your side and four kicks on your stomach with the hand on the milk jug. Be sure to practice it on both sides.

Step 8 Picture of learning to enter the hand in the water and under the milk jug Modify the last drill by sliding the hand UNDER the milk jug instead of placing it on top of the jug. Keep the hand under the milk jug without pulling towards the bottom for those 4 kicks. This is teaching the "glide" to the stroke.

Step 9 Picture of using milk jug and working on correct arm recovery Review the correct arm recovery procedures for the Front Crawl. Practice the arm recovery while standing in shallow water. Then add the correct arm recovery to Step #7 above.

Step 10 Picture of kicking on side without using milk jugs
Picture of keeping arms opposite as you roll without milk jugs
Next, you will do Steps #3-6 without any milk jugs in your hands. If you are a wide-shouldered individual, you will need to let your feet drop towards the bottom of the pool in order to keep your face above water. You can decrease the number of kicks on your side from 4 to 2 as soon as you can get a quick breath

Step 11 Picture of swimming with correct breathing position In this drill, you will keep the arms opposite instead of bringing them together. Both arms need to rotate at the same time. Start on your side without milk jugs and kick four times. Rotate both arms half way as you rotate to your stomach. If you started with right hand on your right leg, it is now overhead and the left hand is on your left leg. Kick four times and complete the arm rotation as you return to your side. Kick four times on your side and repeat the sequence. When your hand leaves your side, it moves above water and when it returns to your side, it pulls through the water. You can reduce the number of kicks to two as soon as you can get a quick breath.

Step 1		You must first learn to trust your milk jugs. Do not grab the handles tightly. Try to relax. Sink down until your chin is in the water, bend your elbows, and lift your feet off the bottom slightly. Learn to balance by lifting the feet up and replacing them several times. Stay low in the water. Try doing some sit-ups or some twists.
Step 2		Do the flutter kick on your stomach with the milk jugs held in front of you.
Step 3		Next, kick across the pool in a side-lying position. One jug in at your side and the other is in front of you. Press down only slightly on both jugs. Turn your head to the side so that your face is above water but the back of your head is in the water and your chin is at your shoulder. Put one ear in the water.
Step 4		Review the breathing rules for the Front Crawl.
Step 5		Kick 4 times on your side and then rotate to your stomach and give 4 kicks before rotating back to your side. You will breathe in while kicking on your side and blow out during the entire time you are rotating to your stomach, kicking on your stomach, and rotating back to your side. Do not hold your breath! Do not lift your head to look forward as you rotate to your stomach. This is a common error and can cause water to go up your nose. Be sure to practice on both sides.
Step 6		Repeat Steps 3-5 above using only one milk jug. Hold the milk jug in the hand that is stretched out under your head. Place the other hand on your leg. Practice until you are comfortable and can breathe easily. As you improve you will no longer need to count your kicks. You'll turn to inhale when you need it and just kick on your side long enough to get a single quick breath.
Step 7		This next drill will add one arm pulling to your kicking, rolling, and breathing sequence in drill #5. Start with the hand on your leg and do 4 kicks. As you rotate, move the arm above water and place your hand on top of the milk jug. Once you have both hands in contact with the milk jug and you are on your stomach, do four kicks. Then pull the free hand off the milk jug, down towards the bottom of the pool, and back to your leg as you rotate onto your side once more. Keep your hand on your leg and kick four times. Repeat this sequence of 4 kicks on your side with your hand on your side and four kicks on your stomach with the hand on the milk jug. Be sure to practice it on both sides.
Step 8		Modify the last drill by sliding the hand UNDER the milk jug instead of placing it on top of the jug. Keep the hand under the milk jug without pulling towards the bottom for those 4 kicks. This is teaching the "glide" to the stroke.
Step 9		Review the correct arm recovery procedures for the Front Crawl. Practice the arm recovery while standing in shallow water. Then add the correct arm recovery to Step #7 above.
Step 10		Next, you will do Steps #3-6 without any milk jugs in your hands. If you are a wide-shouldered individual, you will need to let your feet drop towards the bottom of the pool in order to keep your face above water. You can decrease the number of kicks on your side from 4 to 2 as soon as you can get a quick breath
Step 11		In this drill, you will keep the arms opposite instead of bringing them together. Both arms need to rotate at the same time. Start on your side without milk jugs and kick four times. Rotate both arms half way as you rotate to your stomach. If you started with right hand on your right leg, it is now overhead and the left hand is on your left leg. Kick four times and complete the arm rotation as you return to your side. Kick four times on your side and repeat the sequence. When your hand leaves your side, it moves above water and when it returns to your side, it pulls through the water. You can reduce the number of kicks to two as soon as you can get a quick breath.